Pictures of a Sussex town devastated by floods are being sent to Russian president Vladimir Putin in an effort to flag up the effects of global warming.

Officials at Uckfield Town Council will write to Mr Putin and United States president George Bush urging a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Uckfield was hit by devastating floods in 2000 and 2001.

Homes and businesses were swamped after the River Uck repeatedly burst its banks, which residents put down to global warming.

Town councillors now want America and Russia to adopt the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty designed to cut climate-changing emissions.

In 1997, rich industrialised countries agreed to reduce their harmful emissions as a first step towards stabilising the world's climate.

But the United States, the world's largest polluter, opted out of the protocol in March 2001, declaring it "dead" amid fears it would damage its economy.

However, the superpower will join countries which have signed the protocol in Milan in December for talks on climate change.

Council bosses hope Mr Bush will warmly receive their letter after an attempt to engage him on environmental issues almost two years ago failed to garner a reply.

Questions have been raised about how much impact a municipal authority like Uckfield Town Council would have on superpowers like Russia and the United States.

But town council chairman Duncan Bennett said: "The consensus was if everyone felt like that, nothing would get done.

"If a lot of small groups get their voices heard, a drip, drip, drip makes a torrent."

The letter was being drafted today by Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Whittaker, chairman of the council's Agenda 21 sub-committee, before being sent tomorrow.

Coun Whittaker said: "As Russia is the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases, Mr Putin literally has the opportunity to save the world.

"As we are all living in a global village, Mr Putin's actions will help Uckfield which has had horrendous problems with flooding over the years.

"Although Mr Putin is thousands of miles away, he can still help us."