A ban on using hosepipes has been announced in South East England as more than 1.4 million people living in Kent and Sussex are due to be affected, with those in parts of Surrey being asked to conserve water.

Thames Water has announced a hosepipe ban will begin next Tuesday for customers across a large part of southern England. Customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire will be affected by the incoming ban,

A hosepipe ban will be issued in the South East as the third heatwave of the summer hits some parts of the country. Due to the prolonged period of warm and dry weather, South East Water said that the demand for drinking water has “reached record levels” since May.