Hundreds of families across the south east are spending Christmas Day mopping up after sea defences were breached by high tides.

In East Sussex more than 200 residents have returned to their homes after being evacuated on Christmas Eve.

But the area remains on red flood alert pending high tides at 1200 GMT on Saturday.

Only a last-minute change in wind direction on Friday night prevented more serious flooding on the south coast.

As the clean-up operation continues, engineers are still working to restore power to some 4000 homes in East Anglia, cut off after power lines were brought down by high winds.

The emergency services advised up to 1,000 people to leave their homes in Pevensey Bay and Norman's Bay, near Eastbourne.

Sea defences were breached at Selsey, Pevensey, Worthing, Shoreham, Lancing and Seaford.

The Environment Agency said the worst was over as tides receded, but the strong winds and rain forecast for later on Christmas Day mean there is still a chance of rivers bursting their banks, especially in the west of the country.

Flood alert

Around 60 rivers across Devon and Cornwall are still on yellow flood alert with more forecast for Saturday Sunday and Monday.

Fallen trees and flood water affected roads across the region as teams of engineers worked through the night to restore power to thousands of homes left without power.

The 9,000-tonne Sudanese cargo vessel El Obeid had to shelter in Torbay after suffering generator problems, Brixham coastguards said.

In Scotland, Tayside Fire Brigade answered around 30 reports of flooding in Perthshire during the night with Perth, Crieff and Dunkeld the worst affected by heavy rain.

High winds continued to batter many parts of Scotland but police say there were no reports of major damage.

The Forth Road and Tay Bridges both remain closed to high-sided vehicles, but the A9 Inverness to Perth road has reopened at Drumochter after it was closed by snow.

Snow also closed the A939 between Grantown-on-Spey and Tomintoul and the B9007 between Carrbridge and Ferness.

In Edinburgh, a security guard was critically injured after he was hit by decking blown off a temporary stage.

Fatalities

Earlier in south Devon, an 85-year-old man died after he and his wife were trapped in their home after the River Dart broke its banks.

Rescuers called to the house in Galmpton managed to save the woman but were unable to find her husband in the rising waters.

A French fisherman was lost overboard from a ship to the north of Ireland in treacherous conditions at sea.

And one man died and three others were injured on a cargo ship, which ran into trouble off the Scilly Isles.

Brixham Coastguard spokesman Andy Huber said: "The weather in this area overnight has been very severe, with lashing rain and winds gusting up to 55-60 knots."

Travel chaos

Transport was also affected, with three trains full of passengers left stranded between Southampton and Bournemouth for more than three hours on Christmas Eve, after severe flooding on the line.

Dozens of roads in Northern Ireland were blocked by floods and falling trees. A number of other roads were blocked by landslides, including one just north of Belfast.

The AA has urged motorists to take extreme care, and to set out on journeys only if they are strictly necessary.