A freak spring storm flooded homes and streets in a Sussex village.

Hail, thunder, lightning and a cloudburst overwhelmed Slinfold, near Horsham, within minutes.

Firefighters received more than 20 emergency calls.

Homeowners tried desperately to save their possessions, stacking them on tables as 4in-deep water flowed through their ground floors on Wednesday night.

Widow Linda Ashman, 56, of Hayes Lane, said her first thought was to save photographs of her late husband as muddy water gushed into her detached house.

As she waited for fire crews to pump out her property, she told The Argus: "The rain came down so fast and went straight under my front door.

"I had been trying to clear the street drains but it washed right past me.

"The carpets are gone and the settees are ruined but I managed to move the electrical stuff.

"You've got to be philosophical about these things. I lost my husband ten years ago and I just live day to day."

Police cordoned off a number of roads after cars driving through puddles sent waves welling up over doorsteps.

Sarah Charles, 39, of Lowfield Road, was delayed for hours on her journey home.

She said: "I've been on the mobile all night talking to the kids and making sure they are all right.

"We've lived here for 13 years and I've never seen anything like this.

"I think the dogs are more panicky. The kids are very excited and have been wading through it."

Nick Shields, chairman of Slinfold Parish Council, inspected the damage to homes while firemen worked.

He said: "The problem is the sheer volume of water. We've had problems in the past but I thought we had it licked.

"I measured an inch and a half of rain in less than an hour during the storm.

"Nothing could have stopped this lot going into homes.

"There are still hailstones lying in my front garden like snow."

Kirsty Farley, 24, tiptoed through a flooded street to reach her car.

She said: "There have been about four power cuts during the thunder and lightning. We had really bad hail.

"I had to walk for ages around the cordons because they've cut off the road to my car."

Divisional Officer Dave Howells, northern area commander for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, headed efforts to pump out homes.

He said: "We got the first call at 7.15pm. The rain had been falling through the afternoon and the drains were not able to cope.

"There were 300 millimetres of water running down the main road. It was like a river - 130 metres along one road was completely submerged."

Mr Howells said crews had gone from door to door to check whether homeowners needed help.

He said: "It's heartbreaking for these people. It's very distressing because it takes a long time to clear up.

"I really do feel for them because water seeps into everything and ruins it."