Flood-hit residents fear they will be washed out within days after ground water threatened to wipe out their homes.

Householders in Patcham are measuring water levels following huge downpours last week and reckon they are close to disaster yet again.

They have started pumping water from their gardens after finding levels are two feet below ground level but rising fast.

Residents predict that if levels continue to surge there will be a full-scale flood emergency by this evening.

Scores of homes in the area were flooded in November last year and drains did not work for more than three weeks.

Keith Maslin had to us electric pumps 24-hours-a-day to get rid of water from a World War Two air raid shelter in his garden.

His next-door neighbour, Bryn Bartlett, of Old London Road, is also concerned at the potential of more flooding.

He said: "If there are prolonged showers this week we will be flooded.

"I do not know what can be done about this. In the last incident we lost the use of our drains for 25 days so we could not flush our toilets. We had to use the nearby school.

"It is very unclear as to whose responsibility floods are. We have a problem in this area because we are very low-lying.

"We are surrounded by chalk hills on four sides. After periods of heavy and prolonged rain the ground water table rises and now and again it breaks through the surface.

"It can be very, very serious as it was in November and December and it could easily happen again."

Ward councillor Geoffrey Theobald said: "I have asked the council to get to Patcham as soon as possible to start pumping.

"Ground water could come above the surface very soon, if nothing is done about it."

Latest reports suggest groundwater under Patcham is rising at the rate of half a metre a day. The Argus reported last month how Mr Theobald complained to the Environment Agency about a lack of action over flooding in the area.

He said the council paid the agency £1.5 million a year but got little in return.

However, weather experts have forecast a brief respite for Patcham and say the weather will be dry and sunny for the next few days.