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,

The ban, announced on Friday, prohibits the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. Anyone flouting the restriction could be fined up to £1,000.

A total of 1.4 million customers across Kent and Sussex are now facing a hosepipe ban after South East Water announced new restrictions. The water company said it had been left with "no choice", blaming record-breaking demand.