A hosepipe ban in parts of Derbyshire has finally been lifted - as the county braces itself for sleet and snow

Yorkshire Water said it was lifting the hospipe ban, which it has enforced for millions of households in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, despite the fact that parts of the region are still technically in a drought. The ban, which was the company's first in 27 years, was brought in on August 26 this year after low rainfall and high temperatures in the summer saw reservoir levels fall below 50%.

While the ban was in place, customers were urged to try and reduce the amount of water they were using and those caught using their hosepipe risked a £1,000 fine. Now, due to increased rainfall and help from the public, the reservoir water levels are now at around 75% so the ban has been lifted.

But according to the Environment Agency, the area itself is still in a drought and the lifting of the ban this week comes as temperatures across the country are set to plunge to below zero in the coming days, with parts of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire issued with a yellow weather warning for ice.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said: "We’re pleased to announce that from the sixth of December, the hosepipe ban has ended with our reservoir levels now around 75%.

"We'd like to thank our customers who put their hosepipes down over the past few months, we really appreciate your support. Although the ban has now been lifted and the recent rainfall has helped, it's still really important that we all save water where we can.

"Small changes in habits will help give our reservoirs the best chance possible to continue to top up this winter. But, we know it’s not all down to our customers to save water. Our teams are working around the clock to find & fix leaks across the region, and we will continue to manage our system differently to help our reservoirs fill up faster." the spokesperson added.