A MULTI-million pound package to bolster flood defences has been dismissed as a "drop in the ocean" by campaigners.

Taxpayers across the South-East are to help fund a £2.4 million flood defence scheme in the Cliffe area of Lewes.

The news comes six years after the devastating deluge that left much of Lewes under water.

East Sussex County Council led negotiations with local authorities in Kent, West Sussex and Hampshire to approve a funding package that will see a "very small" increase in council tax.

Work will begin next year at Phoenix Causeway, Harvey's Brewery and the end of South Street.

But families and traders who saw their homes and businesses swept away said the barriers would not be enough to save them from a future flood.

The Lewes Flood Action campaign group is linking with flood victims across the country, including in the deluged Cornish town of Boscastle, to lobby Chancellor Gordon Brown for more cash for flood defences from the Government.

John Clark's two shops in Lewes High Street were swamped by up to 6ft of water in 2000.

He said: "With the new defences in place, one would now be left better protected, the other, on the other side of the bridge, not.

"This sums up the predicament of Lewes people really. What we want is for everybody to be protected."

Lewes Flood Action says it hopes 4,000 letters to the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be sent from Lewes alone.

Organiser Sue Atkins said: "The Environment Agency now says that no further flood defences will be provided in the foreseeable future. The next flood will leave us with Tesco, County Hall and not much else.

"This is just a drop in the ocean. We really need national flood defences."

Miles Jenner, joint managing director at Harvey's, said: "Obviously we're delighted to see there's progress.

"Hopefully this will be part of a larger programme to defend the whole of Lewes in the future."

The county council described the flood £2.4 million package as "fantastic news for the people of Lewes".

Councillor Roger Thomas sits on the southern regional flood defence committee.

He said: "After the devastating floods we felt that central Government had let Lewes down in terms of providing funding for flood defence work.

"We were determined to change this and this plan provides an opportunity for a major scheme to go ahead without a big impact on local council tax payers."

The county council has admitted the western part of the town centre, including North Street, the Pells, Landport, North Malling and Malling Deanery, will remain undefended.

Coun Thomas added: "We must keep up the pressure on central Government to provide the resources that Lewes desperately needs.

"We all know that a re-run of the floods of 2000 would still significantly affect Lewes even when defence schemes are in place."

When the flood waters came, the roof of the brewery and of the nearby supermarket were practically all that could be seen in that area of Lewes.

Lewes Flood Action is holding a public meeting at Lewes Town Hall on Thursday at 7.30pm.