Flood photos for world leaders

The council wants the presidents to see the effects of global warming

Pictures of a Sussex town under flood water are to be sent to Presidents Bush and Putin to highlight the effects of global warning.

Town councillors in Uckfield, East Sussex, want the leaders of the two world superpowers to adopt the Kyoto Protocol.

The treaty is designed to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and so limit changes to the world's climate.

And councillors say the pictures will show US president George Bush and Russian president Vladimir Putin what effect global warming has on local communities.

There were questions as to how much impact something from Uckfield Town Council would have on the international scene Duncan Bennett, chairman of Uckfield Town Council

They hope a cut in greenhouse gas emissions could help prevent the flooding which devastated the town in 2000 and 2001 occurring again.

Duncan Bennett, chairman of Uckfield Town Council, said councillors had agreed to send the letters on Tuesday.

"There were questions as to how much impact something from Uckfield Town Council would have on the international scene," he said.

"However the consensus was that if everyone felt like that, nothing would get done.

Many homes and businesses were flooded in 2000 and 2001

"If a lot of small groups get their voices heard, a drip, drip, drip makes a torrent."

He said the letters would show the council was doing everything it could to raise awareness of concerns over climate change in the town.

The council hopes the pictures of flooding in 2000 and 2001 will reach the world leaders before a summit on Kyoto to be held at the end of September.

The US has opted out of the protocol but will join those nations who have signed in Milan in December for talks on climate change.

UK officials hope Russia will soon be able to ratify the treaty, which can only come into force after that ratification