Council tax bills will rise unless the Government pledges more cash to flood defence work.

The Environment Agency wants a big increase in the amount of cash East Sussex County Council contributes to flood defence work and without matching funds from central government, local tax will have to rise to meet the shortfall.

Council leader David Rogers warned that council tax bills will rise or services suffer unless the Government hands over more money.

Cash is on offer from the Government if authorities seriously overspend their budgets in extreme circumstances, such as floods, tornadoes or hurricanes.

The warning comes in the wake of unprecedented flooding which swamped communities in parts of East Sussex, including Lewes and Uckfield.

Councillor Rogers said: "Because the county has been so hard-hit by flooding we have already pledged more money to the Environment Agency than the Government recommends, but we cannot give them all the money they ask for without the council tax increasing or other services suffering."

He added: "All the agencies will continue to press Government for financial help to ensure that the cost of this work does not fall on residents or bite into schools or social services budgets."

During a visit to the South, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said an additional £51 million would be made available nationally for flood defences during the next four years.

But county council chiefs have said the figure falls far too short to meet their needs.

Coun Rogers' warning comes after the Environment Agency presented its requirements for essential flood defence works in Sussex last Thursday to the Flood Defence Committee.

To meet essential needs, it required a levy increase of 15 per cent on last year's figure to £10.3 million.

But the committee voted on a ten per cent increase on last year's figure £9.8 million.

The Environment Agency said as a result cutbacks would have to be made on major construction projects such as Lewes and Chichester, but that expenditure on essential work such as emergency maintenance and vital flood warning would be maintained.

Other agencies are also being hit hard financially by the floods.