County in drought due to dry spring

CHESHIRE is now in drought due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers following one of the driest springs on record.

- BY EMILY BEAMENT

The Environment Agency (EA) has announced that the North West counties - Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire - have moved from "prolonged dry weather" to "drought" status.

Despite recent rain, water levels in the region remain low, the Environment Agency said, although no other areas of the country are in drought.

A spokesperson said: "The north west of England has entered drought status due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers.

"No other areas in England are in drought and we continue to monitor the situation closely."

The agency also said hosepipe bans were a matter for water companies but they were expected to follow their drought plans, taking appropriate steps to reduce demand and leakage, to ensure more water is left in the environment for farmers and wildlife.

The EA said it continued to regulate the region's water company, United Utilities, to operate within their agreed action plan to make use of available water while protecting the environment.