Council tax bills in East Sussex could rise by more than twice the rate of inflation.

East Sussex County Council is anticipating raising bills by at least 8.3 per cent as it struggles to meet a repair bill estimated at £6.5 million following the recent floods.

It would mean average band-D bills rising by £73, before charges made by district councils and emergency services are included.

County councillors have applied for £6.3 million under the Government's Bellwin scheme for handing-out emergency help.

But they expect to get very little.

The council has included £1.5 million to pay for flood repairs in early estimates for next year's budget.

It hopes the £5 million shortfall, which is almost all for road repairs, will be paid for with a Government loan.

If the money is not forthcoming the repairs will be paid for through cuts in transport.

Councillors had been aiming to increase council tax bills by between six and eight per cent before the flooding.

Council leader David Rogers said bills were likely to be higher than the eight per cent ceiling, although the effect could be eased by spreading the repair bill during two or more years.

He said the Government's Bellwin scheme was in "urgent need of review" and it did not recognise the problems faced by councils which had to deal with disasters such as last autumn's floods.

He said: "It is totally unfair, I have no hesitation in saying it is totally unfair because it does not acknowledge the true cost of recovering from flooding like we had in October."

The county council will not set its final budget until mid-February.

East Sussex Fire Authority, which makes a separate levy on council tax bills, also faces high costs because of the floods.