Lings of Lowestoft has taken a top honour at one of the motor industry's most prestigious award nights.

The family-run dealership received the outstanding achievement award at Car Dealer Magazine's used car awards.

The award, sponsored by Sun Motors, recognised the way the team fought back from adversity, after the dealership was flooded last December. A huge tidal surge caused more than £2.5m of damage, with the large showroom ruined and 170 vehicles written off. Three and a half feet of water filled the building in Riverside Road, as staff desperately tried to move vehicles to higher ground.

It took seven months to get the dealership back as good as new but, despite that, staff carried on. Within hours of the floods, all employees arrived armed with brooms, buckets, mops and anything they could find at home to start the clear-up operation.

Within 48 hours the dealership, which usually stocks 150 to 180 used cars, was up and running again, albeit in a limited way.

Colin Channon, editor of Car Dealer Magazine, said: 'Lings is a worthy winner of the outstanding achievement award. Twelve months on from the devastating floods and the dealership is flourishing. They've added the Mitsubishi franchise and things are going from strength to strength. The fact they were able to get back on their feet so quickly is an incredible testament to the hard work, dedication and passion the team demonstrated in the most adverse of circumstances.'

Lings director Paul Barkshire said: 'After the flood the staff were amazing and it's thanks to them that we have won this award. They were all at the dealership as soon as possible to help with the clear-up and their response blew me away. The force of the water that came on to the site destroyed everything but now we are looking forward to a great future and this award shows how far we have come.'