Fire officers are warning businesses to make sure their buildings are fit to withstand driving rain after they were called out to more floods hit Sussex.

Crews from Crawley Fire Station were called out three times overnight in the Manor Royal area to deal with flooding in commercial buildings, and after weeks of vile weather and floods, officers have called on business owners to do all they can to prevent a repeat next time round.

Watch manager Lee Walton from Crawley Fire Station said: “The worst was on the 23rd when we were called out about 22 times.

“The problem is that generally the buildings are in good condition but when the wind comes, it causes flooding.

“There’s not much that people can do now, because this winter is done and dusted, but they can prepare for next winter.

“For now, that’s all we can ask is that people check their sky lights are shut and all the usual stuff.

“But in the summer, we’d advise them to check the roofs and make sure they’re up to scratch.

“When you combine the wind and the rain, water gets into all sorts of places in buildings and that’s when we get flooding.

“I’m not trying to teach people to suck eggs here, but something as simple as keeping an eye on the weather out in North America can help so that they have an idea of what’s coming our way.”