Quarter of gardeners are breaking the ban

One in four Britons have been using their hosepipes in spite of the ban, a survey has found. The poll of more than 1,000 people living in drought-affected areas for Gardeners’ World magazine found 25 per cent had been totally or partially ignoring the ban imposed by seven water companies on April 5. The recent wet weather appears to have weakened gardeners’ resolve to reduce their water usage, as a pre-ban poll revealed 17 per cent of people planned to break the ban. However 46 per cent of those questioned last week have been saving rainwater to combat the effects of the drought.