Pest controllers are fighting an invasion of rats after floods flushed them out of their waterlogged homes.

The number of rats on the streets throughout Sussex has increased dramatically thanks to rising water levels in sewers.

David Sankey, owner of Capital Pest Control, said the company had been working at full capacity to deal with the problem.

He said: "We've had a lot more calls than usual for this time of year because the ground is so wet and the rats have been trying to find dry places to live."

Mr Sankey said the increase in street rats had been particularly noticeable in Brighton and Lewes.

Nigel Guy, manager of Discreet Pest Control, which has offices in Eastbourne and Brighton, was also inundated with calls from people plagued by the vermin.

One night worker called our reporters after spotting rats in the city centre last night. He said: "They were all over the place, virtually every road I drove through. I've never seen anything like it. It was like a plague."

Other residents fear problems with rubbish collection in the Brighton area are making the problem worse. But Mr Sankey said rubbish alone was not to blame.