A businessman was swept off his feet in High Street, Uckfield, by a vastly-widened River Uck.

He had to be rescued by coastguards after the worst floods in living memory swept through the town.

The man lost his footing near the Somerfield store and was swept away by fast flowing flood water that plunged the town into chaos.

Police called in a coastguard helicopter, which spotted the man a short distance along the River Uck close to a sewage works. He was rescued from the river by a ground-based coastguard team.

The man, who was said to be shivering, was flown to Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, where he was later said to be in a stable condition.

He is believed to be a local trader who was carried away on a wave of water when he opened the front door of his shop.

Elsewhere in Uckfield, two council workmen had to climb on top of their lorry before reaching safety.

Wealden District Council set up a rest centre at the town's Utopia Leisure Centre for people who were flooded out of their homes.

Uckfield was among the worst hit areas after more than 100mm (3.9in) of rain fell there in the past 24 hours.

Weather experts warned there could be another 40mm (1.5in) to come in the next eight hours.

Firefighter Terry Bushell said: "We've had people trapped in cars and upstairs in houses. It's been hectic for everyone.

"Uckfield does get flooded but it has never been this bad before. We've been working all through the night and we'll probably be here for the rest of today as well with the way the weather is looking."

Every fire crew in East Sussex was involved in pumping water from homes and rescuing people from stranded cars.

Crews from neighbouring counties were put on standby to help out.

Rush-hour motorists on the A22 between Eastbourne and Uckfield and on the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield were stuck in deep water.

Some sat on the roofs of their vehicles as the water continued to rise around them. The brigade was driving fire engines into the floods and carrying drivers to safety.

Brigade spokesman Dave Izod said: "I would say we are now at full stretch. Every crew we have is involved in some way or another."

A huge section of the county bordered by Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield and Wadhurst was virtually under water.

Brooklyn Road in Seaford, was "a sea of water" today after the nearby pumping station failed.

Cyril Barrett, managing director of Craftsmen Press Limited, said: "It is dreadful. Everybody is desperately laying out sandbags to try to stop the water flooding their homes and businesses, but it is overpowering them.

"What is worse is that this is not the first time this has happened to us. Every time the pumping station fails Brooklyn Road is badly affected.

"Southern Water has already spent a lot of money improving the pumping station and said it would not happen again.

"Though I am insured, the situation is very hard on people here, because every time it floods we have to replace carpets and upholstery."