People have been urged not to call the police to report breaches of the hosepipe ban. Forces have already received 999 calls about residents’ use of water, even before restrictions are in place.
However, the hosepipe ban is a civil matter, not a criminal one, and police call handlers are being diverted away from dealing with real emergencies. Devon and Cornwall Police said they have already seen “unprecedented demand” on their phone lines about a number of issues this summer, receiving more than 1,000 calls a day.
Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Leaper said: “We are also already getting calls from people reporting breaches of the hosepipe ban due to come in next week – which should be directed to the water company.
