East Sussex County Council and the Environment Agency are having a scrap over the cause of the devastating floods in Lewes.

The agency claims two bridges in the county town contributed towards the disaster by narrowing the river. The county council says they did not.

It's a sensitive issue for the council because it built the Phoenix Causeway against many people's wishes and there are local elections on the way.

What's clear is that narrowing the Ouse at various points, not just at the bridges, was a factor in causing the floods.

Not much can be done about the bridges without spending millions of pounds, which would disrupt the whole town.

But the two authorities badly need to get together, once election fever is over, and find out what measures upstream of Lewes can be put into effect to prevent flooding happening again.