A girl and her friends risked their lives by swimming down a flooded road to rescue three pet dogs left stranded upstairs in a house.

Hester Stewart, 12, set off to rescue her pets - Jasper, Lotte and Tootsie - a day after rising water levels forced her family to abandon their house in Church Lane, Lewes.

Floods which swamped the town on Thursday had left the house standing in 8ft of water.

Hester's friends Indianna Dabson, 13, Antony Herbert, 13, and Emer Morris, 12, would not let her go on the rescue mission alone.

They waded with her into the shoulder-deep water and swam to the house.

Hester paddled inside with Indianna, of South Street, Lewes, through rooms full of floating furniture, while Antony, also of South Street, and Emer, of Foundry Lane, Lewes, waited outside.

Hester and Indianna found cavalier springer spaniels Lotte and Tootsie running frantically around one of the bedrooms.

They put the dogs into two shopping bags. Antony threw a hosepipe up to them and the girls winched the dogs down to safety.

Terrified Jasper, a five-month-old, white-haired labrador, had climbed on to the roof to escape the rising water.

Hester refused to leave him behind. She coaxed him down the stairs and into the water, then helped him swim with her back to dry ground.

She said: "I had to go and get them because I love them so much."

Hester's mum Maryon said: "I didn't know what Hester had done until she called me afterwards.

"I could not believe it. They are all quite little heroes."

Indianna's mum said: "My heart was in my mouth when I heard. Now I think they are incredibly brave."