Hosepipe ban lifted

Watch Natalie Gray's report on the hosepipe ban being lifted in much of the Anglia region.

Anglian Water said: "Since we brought in the ban in early April it's really not stopped raining . This is one of the few dry days we've actually had here. Really we had three months of Winter rain in April and then persistent rain since then and that's made the difference for us."

Water companies in the Anglia region appear to be coming under increasing pressure to lift their hosepipe restrictions.

With speculation that the government is calling for the ban to be lifted before the 2012 Olympics, the Department for the Environment says it does not want to see unnecessary restrictions in place.

Some of our region's horticultural businesses are becoming exempt from the hosepipe ban.

For at least the next 28 days, turf growers and landscape gardeners are now allowed to use a hosepipe on private property - for things like bedding in a newly laid lawn.

Anglian Water and Thames Water relaxed their bans after the exceptionally wet April. Veolia Water Central and East have kept their full bans in place, while Essex and Suffolk Water never imposed any hosepipe ban.