Town on flood alert

Barricades were kept up outside Uckfield shops throughout New Year's Day in case the river burst its banks.

There were hefty wooden defences front and back of the Somerfield supermarket and Peacocks was heavily sandbagged.

There were also barriers at the doors of Kids Stuff, McEwans, Boots and Sussex Stationers. Sandbags protected properties in the Bell Walk Precinct.

In Olives Meadow where residents spent months repairing damage caused by floods in 2000 many people now had their own flood barriers protecting doorways. They too were keeping a careful watch on the river.

A fire service spokesman said yesterday that a watch was being maintained on the river. Should there be a warning of flooding then they would start monitoring the situation hourly.

Charles Hendry, MP for Wealden, voiced grave concern over the risk of flooding to Uckfield and Buxted.

Mr Hendry said: 'People in Uckfield, Buxted and other communities are again at risk of flooding. It is unbelievable that we are facing this threat two years on from the terrible floods of autumn 2000 and when no serious steps at all have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

'It is clear looking at the rising water levels that the problem is the volume of water coming in and the size of the openings under the bridges. It shows that the government is simply wrong to rule out more upstream storage of rainwater and the Minister's assertion that the answer is to remove the industrial estate in Uckfield is just ill-informed.

'Both the Prime Minister and Elliot Morley, the Environment Minister, pledged two years ago that action would be taken to prevent future floods. Perhaps they should cut short their holidays and see the problems for themselves and realise that their inaction is again threatening people's homes and livelihoods.'

Pictures: Page 28