DINERS at a pub were happily waiting for their Christmas lunch when an unwanted guest came in – the river.

An exceptionally high tide flooded the garden of the Riverside Tavern in Strood, and swept into the pub’s bars, soaking the carpets.

Landlord Peter Foreman said: "I’ve had to turn all the electricity off for safety but I’m still planning to serve lunch once the water goes down."

As Mr Foreman sat on a table in his newly-acquired water garden, he added: "In the meantime, I’ve given all my customers champagne, so I hope they are keeping happy, despite what’s happened.

"Fortunately, I was able to warn everyone in time for them to move their cars. The trouble is it’s so expensive when this happens because I can’t get insurance. Medway Council will have to do something about this before it starts on the 600 homes planned for this area."

Mr Foreman was particularly upset the flood happened on a Friday, traditionally the pub’s busiest night. The Riverside Tavern was due to remain open until 3am and there was thought to be a danger of another high tide, although those fears proved unfounded.

The flood waters covered Canal Road to a depth of 2ft to 3ft in places, making the road impassable and swamping parked cars.