The Environment Agency plans to contact 130,000 people in a bid to get more signed up for a flood warning service.

It wants more people in the South East to join its automatic voice messaging service, which sends flood warnings direct to subscribers.

Boosting the service is one of the key recommendations in a report on last autumn's floods published by the agency's southern region.

A spokesman said: "It is something anybody in a flood risk area would find very helpful.

"This is just another way we can make sure people know what is happening."

Since the automatic service was launched in 1996 the number signing up to receive flood warnings directly has declined.

But almost 200,000 messages were sent to people at risk via the warning system to subscribers in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent between September 15 and November 15 last year.

But the report says the system was stretched beyond its limits by the flooding and recommends boosting funding.

An exhibition on the report was held at Lewes Town Hall yesterday.

It was at Malling Community Centre from 1pm to 6.30pm today and at the same times at Uckfield Civic Centre tomorrow.

People can join the automatic flood warning system by calling the Floodline on 0845 9881188.