A HOSEPIPE ban will affect 15 million Thames Water customers across Wiltshire and the south of England.

The ban will come into force from Wednesday August 24 following reports of the River Thames reaching its lowest level since 2005 and "unprecedented weather conditions".

The restriction means people will not be able to use hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars and windows, or fill paddling pools.

Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley said implementing the ban had been a "very difficult decision" but, she added, reservoir storage levels in London and Farmoor, in Oxfordshire had "reduced significantly".

The ban forms part of the water firm's plan to prevent drought. Thames Water has already announced it will fix 1,100 leaks across its 20,000-mile network every week.

Ms Bentley added: "After months of below average rainfall and the recent extreme temperatures in July and August, water resources in our region are depleted.

"Customer demand is at unprecedented levels and we now have to move into the next phase of our drought plan to conserve water, mitigate further risk and futureproof supplies."

Other water suppliers are enforcing similar hosepipe bans elsewhere in the UK, like Southern Water, South East Water, South West Water and Yorkshire Water.