Family flees as flood swamps pub

Heavy rainfall swelled an underground spring below the Flying Fish in Denton, forcing water to burst through the floor boards and cause thousands of pounds of damage.

A New Year's dinner with live music for 54 revellers was cancelled and landlord Christophe Coevoet, his wife Kathryn and their children Sarah, 17, and Antoine, nine, had to leave their home as the torrent flooded the 300-year-old pub.

Mr Coevoet returned yesterday (Thursday) to survey the damage and find his inn 12 inches under water.

He told the Express: 'The spring water has been building up with the amount of the rain and saturated the ground.

'It is coming through any little gap in the pub floor - the pressure is so strong it has even lifted up part of the tarmac outside.'

Newhaven firefighters were called to pump out the water but the landlord was warned it could get worse before it got better, as more heavy rain is forecast for next week.

He said: 'Next Thursday we have a very high tide ahead and all over Sussex there is a flood alert. It is not looking good.

'All we can do is just try to move things and limit the damage.'

Arrangements were being made with the pub's owner, Shepherd Neame, to collect 16 barrels of real ale, about 1,120 pints, which would go to waste if not drunk within 10 days.

The family are staying at a house in Denton until the flood waters subside.

Firefighters were also called to Vicarage Close, Denton, on New Year's Day where they spent an hour pumping out water from the flooded ground floor of a house.

East Sussex was on flood alert yesterday after persistent rain.

In Uckfield, residents and businesses put out sandbags as the Uck rose alarmingly. In Lewes there was some surface flooding in the Cliffe area. Earlier, the Cuckmere flooded fields around Alfriston.