A pub has been forced to close after floodwater swept through on Friday morning.

The Sally Pussey's Inn, on Swindon Road just outside Royal Wootton Bassett, was flooded after heavy rain hit the area overnight.

A drainage company has been attending the pub near to Junction 16 of the M4 all day, after heavy rain overnight caused water to flood into the building, submerging the ground floor, car park, and busy road outside.

"It was about three feet deep when I turned up, right up to our top step and it completely covered the inside ground floor and toilets," said an employee of Sally Pussey's Inn, who does not wish to be named.

"The whole of the road outside was completely flooded this morning and there were fire engines everywhere. No one could get through.

"We would have stayed completely closed today, but we have a wake booked in for this afternoon, and after all the tragedy that has happened so far, we just couldn't turn them away," she added.

Swindon Advertiser: Sally Pussey's Inn's courtyard is submerged, even after water has been pumped out all morning.Sally Pussey's Inn's courtyard is submerged, even after water has been pumped out all morning. (Image: Newsquest)

The popular Wootton Bassett pub, owned by Arkells, has had a drainage company pumping water out of the premises all morning, in a desperate attempt to still host the wake.

"It's impressive that they've managed to get the water level as low as it is now," said the employee, as she waded her way through the flooded courtyard.

But it was clear just from looking at the stagnant water, that the damage to the pub would be costly and time-consuming to repair.

Swindon Advertiser: An employee said the water was up to the top step.An employee said the water was up to the top step. (Image: Newsquest)

According to one anonymous employee, this is not the first time that Sally Pussey Inn has faced devastating flood damage.

"We have flooding here all the time, but never this bad. So surely someone has to do something about it now, it can't go on like this."

The employee described the flood damage as "just soul destroying," and was horrified at the way months of refurbishment work could be ruined in one single night.

The pub worker, who said she had only come in to allow the drainage company to access the building, did not know how long the pub would be closed for, or how long flood damage to the interior would take to replace.

"All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and pray for no rain tonight," she said, looking concerningly at the dark sky that hung over the pub.