Thames Water hosepipe ban to stay in force until 2023

Thames Water was one of several water companies to introduced the restrictions

A temporary hosepipe ban affecting 10 million people across the south of England is expected to remain in place until next year, Thames Water has announced.

The ban came into force across the Thames Valley and London on 24 August.

It followed reports of the River Thames reaching its lowest level since 2005 amid extreme weather conditions.

The firm said any rainfall in September had not made up for "10 months of dry and record heat".

The ban means people cannot use hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars and windows, or fill paddling pools.

Those found to breach the rules could be fined up to £1,000.

Similar measures were implemented by other water companies across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex, following the driest July since 1935.

Andrew Tucker, Thames Water's water demand manager, told the BBC there was no definite date for when the hosepipe ban would end but confirmed it was unlikely it would be lifted until the new year.

He said: "We are still trying to recover from a really tough year that Mother Nature threw at us.

"Ten of the last 12 months have been below average rainfall. We've had a little bit in September and we can see the grass is now greening up but an average September doesn't make up for 10 months of dry and record heat."

Mr Tucker said it was a national issue, with most of England and Wales still declared as in drought by the National Environment Agency.

"We've got to make sure that we've got enough water going forward for everyone in the longer term," he explained.

Hosepipe bans came into force across England and Wales after temperatures topped 40°C (104°F) in the UK for the first time on record over the summer.

Thames Water said previously the heatwave resulted in the highest demand for water in the past 25 years.