A pensioner is homeless after a burst water pipe wrecked her bungalow.

Mary Chapman, 78, discovered the devastation when she returned from a two-month dream holiday to Australia where she was visiting her son.

Ceilings collapsed and wallpaper was stripped from the walls as water gushed into Mrs Chapman's home in Farm Close, Hassocks.

It is thought the pipe burst when temperatures plunged during the cold snap earlier this month.

Homes across Sussex suffered similar problems.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue had more than 50 call-outs.

Distraught Mrs Chapman said: "My home has gone, my furniture is ruined and everything is in black sacks but I have got to keep strong.

"I am taking things one day at a time and I have calmed down since I first saw what happened."

Mrs Chapman has had to throw out furniture, including beds, sofas and armchairs.

Have you suffered burst water pipes? Tell us your stories below.