South East facing sprinkler ban

Residents are being urged not to waste water

People in parts of south-east England have been banned from using sprinklers and unattended hosepipes.

Customers in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London who receive their water from Sutton and East Surrey Water will be affected by the ban.

The water firm said the new rule was being introduced on Friday because of insufficient rainfall between November and February.

It is the first sprinkler ban to be imposed by the company for eight years.

Half-full

There has not been a hosepipe ban since 1992.

Sutton and East Surrey Water said the last five months have been the driest since the end of 1975, beginning of 1976.

The amount of time the restrictions are in place depends on how wet spring proves to be.

Sutton and East Surrey Water relies on supplies drawn from 59 boreholes for the majority of its water which goes to 650,000 people.

These boreholes depend on winter rainfall to be recharged.

Other water companies have said it is too early to speculate if they will follow suit.

But Southern Water has said the Weirwood reservoir in East Grinstead is less than half full and Mid-Kent Water admitted its reservoirs are also very low,