A lingerie shop was on the verge of cancelling its tenth anniversary party after getting flooded.

Staff at Top Drawers had put in extra hours to spruce up the premises in The Royal Arcade, Worthing, in time for Thursday night's celebrations.

But they were shocked to discover their hard work was in ruins when they opened at 9.30am.

The store's curtains and laminate floor were soaked along with £500 worth of tights and stockings due to a flood caused by heavy overnight rain.

Staff rushed the curtains to Harlequin Cleaners, in Warwick Street, whose staff made sure they were washed, dried and pressed in time for the celebrations.

The staff also spent three hours drying the floor with mops and towels.

Karen Dearman, 40, co-owner of Top Drawers, said: "Fortunately, most of the lingerie is above floor level so there were no soggy pants. Even so, I was really shocked.

"We had spent the previous week getting the shop ready for the party that evening.

"We had repainted the woodwork, stairs and some of the fixtures.

"The flood was the worst-case scenario. It could not have picked a worse time."

The flood was caused by a heavy downpour of rain over a short period of time on Wednesday night.

A drain in an alleyway outside the shop overflowed, causing water to pour downhill and seep through the shop's back door.

The problem arose because the drain is higher than the shop floor.

A plinth has now been added to the doorstep in order to prevent another flood.

Top Drawers was reopened by 12.30pm and the party went ahead as planned with the mayor of Worthing, Nick John, attending as guest of honour.

Top Drawers started ten years ago in Broadwater before moving two years later to the town centre.

It moved again two doors down to its current premises where it has been trading successfully for the past two years.

The tenth anniversary celebrations involved models posing in a selection of underwear sold at the shop. Customers sipped wine in between trying on outfits.

Michelle Etherington, 39, the other co-owner, said: "We have such a passion for underwear. That's why we have survived for ten years and we were so relieved the party could go ahead."