Work starts this week on an £80,000 project to protect a village from flooding.

The scheme on the B2116 Pagham Road near Bognor will see part of the road raised by about two-and-a-half feet.

The work will take place on a section of road which crosses the Pagham Rife, which flows into the sea.

The stream has been chosen as the emergency escape route for water from the River Lavant as part of a £3 million flood defence scheme for nearby Chichester.

The route will be used whenever the Lavant threatens to break its banks as it did last winter and in 1996, causing widespread chaos.

The work to the road follows an agreement between West Sussex County Council, Pagham Parish Council and the Environment Agency.

County Cabinet member for the Environment Councillor Tex Pemberton said his council had given an undertaking that flooding problems in Pagham would be looked at.

He said: "Our consulting staff have now examined the problems in detail and designed a scheme which will tackle them."

The work will start on Thursday and includes forming new ditches and drains as well as raising the height of the road.

Motorists have been warned to expect delays and temporary traffic lights for five days.