Drivers have been warned not to drive through floods after a petrol tanker became stranded in several feet of water.

The A267 at Cross in Hand, near Uckfield, had to be closed for hours after the tanker became stuck at 5am yesterday morning.

Heavy rain caused flooding across the county.

A spokeswoman from East Sussex Highways said the road was able to reopen after silt was cleared from the drainage system, allowing the floodwater to dissipate.

She said highway drains are “unable to deal” with the “exceptional” volume of rain Sussex saw overnight on Thursday.

“We have a regular programme of drain clearing across the county to prevent surface water from flooding roads and pavements, but highway drains are unable to deal with the exceptional volume of rainfall that fell overnight,” she said.

“Exceptional rainfall combined with heavy leaf fall can slow the flow of water from the road surface into free-running drains, causing some localised flooding, but this usually recedes within a short period of time. 

“We will carry out further checks where flooding remains for longer.

“Any concerns about flooding should be reported to us directly by calling 0345 60 80 193. We would encourage all motorists to ensure they drive to the conditions during heavy rain and avoid driving through floodwater where possible.”