Houses, streets and gardens flooded during downpour in Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill Mayor and Green Party councillor (Leylands ward) Anne Eves said several houses and gardens were flooded after the rain started at about 8.30pm.

She described it as ‘the worst flood in at least ten years’, adding that Freeks Lane has a long history of flooding and is an unmade road.

“The big change this time is that the water rushed through the back gardens of Freeks and flooded the next street, Dumbrills Close,” said Anne.

“I’m hoping this will make Highways sit up and take notice,” she added.

Mrs Eves said the first thing she saw was water rushing from Mill Road and Leylands Road into Freeks Lane while the rain was ‘hammering down’.

She added that there is a broken pipe, halfway down Freeks Lane, which gushes water whenever it rains, regularly flooding the gardens of the homes opposite.

Resident Fred Bone added that water often flows down his drive, through the garage and out into his back garden.

“I feel very sorry for the residents of Freeks Lane who don’t know where to turn,” said Mrs Eves, adding that the problem has been going on for 20 years.

“As the weather gets more extreme this will happen more often,” she added.

“The water smelled horrid,” said Freeks Lane resident Lisa Icome, adding that luckily it did not get inside her home.

“My drains were under water,” she said.

“They couldn’t deal with the amount of water there was, I could hear it bubbling up in my bath.”