RESIDENTS who braved what was predicted to be the biggest tidal surge in 60 years said they were never worried about being flooded.

Dozens of people kept watch over the sea level until the early hours of this morning.

Some were also looking after older people who had refused to evacuate their homes, off Brooklands.

One man, who was returning to the sea wall from his home every 20 minutes to check the water’s progress between 11pm on Thursday and 2am on Friday, said: “This is definitely as high as I have seen it.

“I packed the wife and kids off to the in-laws but I wanted to stay here with the dog.

“I couldn’t let him stay here alone and if he got out with the other dogs, I don’t know what would happen.

“There are a few older people in the road who are just set in their ways and don’t want to move, so I’ve been reporting back to them as well.

He added: “I never believed it would come over and for once, I was right.”

He added: “People forget these sea walls weren’t like they are now back in 1953.

“We’ve been prepared for something like this, that’s what the millions of pounds have been spent for.”

Davey Johnson, who also lives off Brooklands, added: “I’ve been fishing here for years and, yes, this is the highest I’ve seen it, but I was expecting this to be much higher and much more of a threat, but it hasn’t been.

“Our sea defences are much, much better than they were in ‘53.

“If they didn’t work after all the money which has been spent, then I would be worried.”

The ground floor of Jaywick Pharmacy, in Beach Way, was cleared of all medicines well before the high tide was due to come.