Hastings was today mopping up after one of the worst floods to hit the town in years.

Residents and businesses are furious that a £43 million storm tunnel, built to prevent severe flooding, did not stop the town getting swamped under a torrent of rain water.

Water levels suddenly started rising in the early hours of the morning yesterday as the rain poured down too fast for the drains to carry the water away.

Up to 4ft of sewage-laden water seeped into some premises, causing vast amounts of stock, computer equipment and furniture to be written-off.

Dramatic pictures showed the scale of the flooding as a wall of water flowed past shops in Station Road including Phones 4 U, Thomas Cook and the Body Shop.

One resident said: "It looked like a river flowing through Hastings town centre. The water was really high, so high in fact that you could have got a boat out there.

"Water was even bubbling up from the bricks in the ground. It was a sight to be seen. There wasn't even an excessively large amount of rain overnight."

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was alerted in a call from Middle Street at 5.41am yesterday following a heavy overnight downpour.

Most of the shopping centre was able to operate normally. However, partial cordons manned by street wardens and police community support officers were set up around flooded areas.

Hastings Town Hall in Queen's Road was damaged. Ten staff from the marketing and communications unit were evacuated from their first floor office and relocated to a commitee room.

Phone lines and computer systems were knocked out until 11am. Tables, chairs and books were salvaged and stacked just inside the main entrance. The adjoining Tourist Information Centre was also affected but continued to operate.

A council spokeswoman said: "There is a lot of mess plus quite a nasty smell but things are starting to get back to normal now.

"The marketing department was the worst-affected out of all the council departments but by the time we came in the water had subsided."

Some businesses expect to be closed for up to a fornight to repair the damage as firefighters, cleaners and council staff worked late into yesterday pumping out water and hosing down streets.

Fire crews spent most of the day pumping masses of water from the cellar via the hatch door at The Clarence pub in Station Road.

Landlord, Eamon O'Connor, said: "There was water in the bar and cellar when I came down. There was about a foot and half of it.

"There was also some sewage in the flooding, meaning I'm going to need new carpets, new beer supplies, new paint in the cellar, new electrics - new everything.

"It's probably going to cost about £30,000 and I don't expect to be open until seven to 14 days' time. It's going to keep me busy, that's for sure.

"I heard that it was going to snow tomorrow. Of course I am worried about the weather. I don't want it to happen again. But to be honest I am more worried about my pub. I think the water board should have addressed this problem."

Bob Syvret, MET office spokesman, said: "I think the heavy, persistent rain moved around midday yesterday and it is quite a bit drier now.

"There are light showers around but nothing that will make this situation worse. The worst is over."

Pratibha Paleja, 49, who runs the Smokemart Cutprice newsagent, was woken at 5.45am by the sound of bubbling water outside her flat above the Body Shop.

She said: "I looked out of the window but couldn't see anything. I then went to the toilet and saw water bubbling up from it.

"I got a bit scared, looked out of the window again and could see water everywhere. I woke my 15-year-old son and I dialled 999 straight away."

She waited until fire crews had pumped the water from the street before opening the shop up to find it had damaged lots of stock.

Mrs Paleja, who has run the shop since 1989, said: "I feel horrible. I don't know how long I'm going to be shut but I can't afford to be closed for long. I need to open as soon as possible."

She said the last time floodwater breached shops and homes in the area was almost exactly five years ago.

Mrs Paleja added: "The last experience was a bad one because the insurance company wouldn't pay the full amount.

"They told me to go and claim money from Southern Water but they said it wasn't their fault. I lost a lot of money back then and I don't want it to happen again."

The stormwater tunnel was unveiled by Southern Water in 2000 with the promise it would ease flooding, said Priory Meadow Shopping Centre manager John Hough.

He said the 2001 flooding caused more than £100,000 damage to four shops but this latest incident is sure to hit homes and businesses even harder.

Mr Hough said: "Clearly something has gone wrong here. We were told when the storm tunnel was built that flooding shouldn't occur but clearly it has and we are awaiting a response from Southern Water. It is important to say that most of the shops are operating business as usual."

Last night a Southern Water spokeswoman said the company could not comment on whether the storm tunnel was to blame until a full investigation had ended.

She said: "We have taken this very seriously and made sure we were on site liaising with the fire brigade as soon as we heard there was a problem.

"We have been working with the shopkeepers to help them get back to business as soon as possible."

Efforts were being made to pump out water, de-humidify buildings, take up carpets and get rid of water-damaged stock.

Sarah Lake, who lives in a basement flat, fears she and her family, including a baby, may now be homeless. "It was awful, I saw the sofa floating towards the door in the lounge," she said. "My child's dolls and toys were swimming towards the front door. Shock set in straight away."

At Top Shop in Priory Meadow, staff found their newly-stocked Spring range of clothes destroyed. Sales assistant Alex Millen, 18, said: "I came in at 8.10am and saw there was loads of water behind the doors.

"The mannequins were up against the window and there was lots of stock water-damaged. The water goes all the way back to the rear of the building. I just thought, 'Oh my God'.

"We have recently remodelled the store and had only just got it finished so to see it all ruined like this is really frustrating.

"Thousands of pounds worth of stock would be damaged I imagine. The workmen are trying to get all the water out of the building first, then remove all the damaged stock, then all the undamaged stock."