A transport depot which burnt to the ground after being struck by lightning was previously swamped by floods.

The storage unit and several lorries and vans were destroyed by fire which swept through the building during the electrical storm on Friday night.

Oak Transport was previously hit by freak weather in October 2000 when the company was based in Uckfield.

Most staff had left the depot, now in Sheffield Park Business Park, when a lightning bolt hit the side of the storage unit after 5.30pm. Within minutes the building was engulfed by fire.

Staff and lorry drivers who were still at the premises managed to jump into some of the lorries and move them away from the building which was burnt out along with two lorries and two cars.

At the peak of the blaze, six fire appliances from East Sussex were sent to stop it spreading to other industrial units on the site.

Many of the vehicles were destroyed as fire spread to the trailer covers. Inside the storage unit was a consignment of fire detectors which were going off as the fire took hold.

Crews spent the weekend at the site damping down but were called out again yesterday shortly after 8am when the fire broke out again in the ruins.

The owners of Oak Transport were at the scene but were too upset to talk about the fire.

Up to ten staff at the depot are out of work because of the fire.

Driver Jonathan Mitchell said the company had been forced to move out of its Uckfield depot in Bell Brook Estate when it was caught in the 2000 floods.

The company moved to higher ground at Sheffield Park.

Mr Mitchell, 49, who has worked for the company for about 16 months, said: "I think they were quite heroic trying to rescue the lorries and move them out of the way.

"The owners are two really hard-working guys. They worked 13 hours a day and on Saturdays. It's such a shame.

"It seems quite unbelievable but from the time the lightning hit the building, there was only about eight minutes before it was obvious they could not stop it."

Another driver, Peter Dixon, said the staff were devastated by the blaze.

Father-of-two Mr Dixon, 59, of Corner Green, Ringmer, was at the job centre yesterday looking for work after his truck was destroyed by the blaze.

Only last year a van he was driving near Polegate was struck by lightning. The rear of the truck was wrecked but he escaped injury.

He said: "I was really shocked by Friday's fire.

"It was such a nice place to work and the two owners were great to work for.

"They are really upset. The bolt of lightning hit the side of the building and the fire spread in seconds."

About ten drivers and office staff worked for the company which carried goods around the South-East.

One of the owners said business would continue.