South East Water is introducing a hosepipe ban amid shortages in Kent and Sussex. Schools in the region have been forced to close during the warm weather and bottled water stations have been set up as the utility company said demand for drinking water had reached “record levels”.

The company said the temporary hosepipe restrictions would come into force from 26 June. It means customers cannot water their gardens, wash cars, boats or patios and are banned from filling paddling or swimming pools.

David Hinton, the chief executive of South East Water, said: “This situation has developed much more rapidly than last year. Understandably, we’ve seen customer demand increase in line with the hotter weather. However this has impacted our ability to keep all customers in supply at all times.

“Despite asking for customers’ help to use water for essential uses only, regrettably we’ve now been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary use ban restriction to protect customers supplies across Kent and Sussex.

“The long-term forecast for the rest of the summer is for a dry period with little rainfall, although temperatures may reduce slightly. Restricting the use of hosepipes and sprinklers to make sure we have enough water for our customers’ essential use will ensure we can serve our vulnerable customers and to protect the local environment.”