Homes flooded with sewage after heavy rainfall

People living in a village in West Sussex have expressed anger after local streets, homes and gardens became flooded with sewage.

One couple from Barnham say they are now living in a caravan for a second time, after they were also flooded out last Christmas.

Repairs to a damaged sewer were causing roadworks which will be in place until February 2024.

Southern Water said repairs to the sewer have proven to be more complex because of saturated ground.

Sydnee Kalinski, who had to abandon her home in Marshall Close after it was flooded with sewage during Storm Ciaran on 2 November, is now living in a caravan on her father's farm.

She had previously spent eight months living there following another flood.

"Our insurance company have cancelled our insurance," she said.

Alex Saunders, head of wastewater networks at Southern Water, told BBC Radio Sussex the repair teams were working in difficult conditions because of recent heavy rainfall, with the ground described as "sinking sand".

He said: "We're having to do extra things to try and remove the water from the ground around our hole to make it safe and do the repairs."

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