Frustrated residents told how “sewage” bubbled up into their baths and their back gardens "filled like a paddling pool” during heavy rainfall.

People said they “wake up worried” about finding water seeping into the ground floors of their houses due to the poor drainage.

Some claimed that sewage bubbles up into their bathrooms when there is a heavy downpour such as happened on Wednesday.

The residents in Lewis Close, Newhaven, say the issue has been happening for up to 20 years.

The Argus: Sandbags lined to prevent water seeping into homesSandbags lined to prevent water seeping into homes (Image: Supplied)

Southern Water apologised and said it has engineers investigating the problem.

Jane Lucas, 59, who lives in one of the houses, said: “It flooded last year too. I could not believe it - outside the back it was filling up like a paddling pool. It spilt under the door. My next door neighbour had sewage coming in.

“When you go to bed a night you are worried about what you will find every time you wake up. It is not just a one off thing. It has been happening for years.

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“The water was halfway up my wellies. I do not think my flooding was sewage but some people had sewage. I cannot sleep and it is very frustrating.

“This rainfall was quite sudden and came through next door.

“When it came under my door it was just a musty smell in my house. I just wonder what will happen when it gets rainier.

“You never quite know which rainfall will get you, it seems to pick and choose, the drains need to be looked at.”

The Argus: 'Sewage' which residents claim has come up through the pipes'Sewage' which residents claim has come up through the pipes (Image: Supplied)

There was 21mm of rainfall in the space of an hour in Denton.

A spokesman for Southern Water said: “We recognise that every flooding incident is hugely distressing for our customers and we are very sorry that residents in Lewis Close experienced this.  

“We have engineers on site investigating the issue and are concentrating our efforts to resolve any asset failure that may have contributed to this incident.  

“We take these matters extremely seriously and are working hard to make incidents like these an exception.”