A HOSEPIPE ban is set to hit Oxfordshire next month.

Thames Water is one of seven companies in south and east England which has announced plans to impose water-use restrictions on its customers from April 5.

The decision comes after one of the driest two-year periods in southern and eastern England since records began.

Since March 2010 the region has had 35cm less rain than normal.

It is not clear how long the ban will last but a Thames Water spokesman said it was dependent on the weather.