@emilyhstott

Fire crews were called to The Chequers yesterday after torrential downpours caused severe flooding.

A fire engine arrived at the restaurant on Golf Road, in Deal, at about 1pm and worked tirelessly for four hours to pump out the water.

The district council also delivered two loads of sandbags at 3pm to protect the lower apartments next to the public house.

The water had reached approximately 2ft and two pumps were employed to clear it away.

The owners of The Chequers, Gary Rose and Pieter Van Zyl were thankful that action had been taken before the water seeped into the ground-floor flats.

Mr Rose said: “We feel a lot safer now, it’s just a bit scary at the beginning, I don’t want downstairs to be flooded.

“The water’s just got nowhere to go at the moment, all the water comes this way and the car park is a little bit lower so we have to go out everyday and clear it up.”

Mr Rose explained that this was the second time the area had been severely flooded.

On Christmas eve the car park was a few feet under water and then on Friday last week, the pair realised that the water was rising once again.

For the full story read this week's East Kent Mercury.