East Lavant flooding: clean up continues after residents were evacuated - flood alerts remain in place near Chichester, Midhurst and Bognor Regis

Vulnerable residents were evacuated, village hall events cancelled and roads closed following major flooding in East Lavant on Monday.

Heavy rainfall across the county led to fast rising waters in the River Lavant, with severe downpours on Monday leading to the rover bursting its banks.

This led to severe flooding, worse than some residents have ever seen.

Homes, gardens and farmlands were hit and the village green was entirely submerged.

Pook Lane, Fordwater Road, Sheepwash Lane and New Road were all closed .

Emergency services were scrambled to the scene on Monday to isolate a home’s electrics and rescue a resident with an inflatable boat.

A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 10.04am [on Monday, January 16] we responded to a flooded property at Pook Lane, Lavant.

"Joint Fire Control sent one fire engine from Chichester to the scene and upon arrival requested the assistance of a further fire engine from Chichester and the Technical Rescue Unit. Firefighters gained access to the property and isolated the electrics.

"Wade crews were then able to rescue the resident from the property using an inflatable raft.

"Crews booked away from the scene at around 12pm."

Dave Waldron, who lives on Pook Lane near to the flood-affected area, said while his home has not been directly hit by the flooding, it has made getting around ‘a lot more difficult’ and some building work at his property has had to be postponed due to the road closures.

Another man, who wished to remain anonymous, was visiting his mother’s home after she was rescued from her flood-hit property on Monday morning.

He said the garage had been ‘totally flooded’ and the property has water up to the front door and floodgates and the beginning of the drive have been broken. “That’s the highest you will see it,” he said.

Across West Sussex flood warnings remain in place for Bersted on the Aldingbourne Rife, Fittleworth on the Western Rother and Pulborough on the River Arun, and alerts in other areas including the River Lavant, the Upper River at Ems Valley, West Dean, Singleton, Charlton, East Dean and Chilgrove.