Retired GP's bid to aid ailing lane

For the last three weeks Dr Thurston, 79, has been out in all weathers clearing muck and dumped waste from the upper part of Buckholt Lane in an attempt to stop flooding.

Dr Thurston has lived in the upper section of Buckholt Lane with his wife, Pam, for 24 years.

It is an unadopted road, little more than a cindertrack, according to Rother council and East Sussex county council, neither of whom are responsible for its condition.

The lane leads nowhere and peters out into open land. Dr Thurston says the upper part has only become badly flooded in the last ten years.

Since then he has regularly cleared tons of rubble and rubbish dumped in the ditches alongside the path.

In the last three weeks the near-octogenarian estimates he has removed a ton of debris by hand and taken it to Pebsham tip in his trailer.

He said: "I've been out at least 10 times, for three hours a time. I've had some help from my grandsons and a friend, but nobody else seems to want to get involved."

Dr Thurston said: "It gets very wet and muddy to the north, past the houses, from water draining from Levetts Wood, nearby.

"I am doing my bit to clear the area, despite opposition from those who believe the mud and potholes keep people away who might otherwise dump even more rubbish over a wider stretch."

Rother councillor, Stuart Earl, said: "This is private land and there is nothing anyone can do to force people to get involved."