UK heatwave: Hosepipe ban in Cornwall first in 26 years

Activities to be banned include using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars

A hosepipe ban is to start in Cornwall for the first time in 26 years amid a continuing drought.

South West Water (SWW) said it had been "left with no other choice" to "protect our precious water".

The ban, which includes parts of north Devon, will begin on 23 August.

Activities to be banned include using hosepipes to water gardens or clean cars. Businesses and farmers are unaffected.

Dried mud and old trees at Colliford Lake, Cornwall's largest lake and reservoir

It follows bans by Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and by South East Water in Kent and Sussex.

Lisa Gahan, of SWW, told BBC Radio Cornwall the ban would be in place "for some time" to allow depleted rivers and reservoirs to recover and would "depend on the weather and demand".

There was "no significant rain for potentially many months", she said.

She added SWW had done its best to avoid the ban, doubling the amount of leak detection staff and fixing about 2,000 leaks a month.

Customers will still be able to water gardens or clean cars without using a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can.

Or they can use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt or a private borehole.

The temporary measure will not apply to blue badge holders or those on SWW's priority register.

SWW said the ban also covered some households in the Upper Tamar region of north Devon and there was a postcode checker on its website. where people could see if they were affected.

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