Angry customers who say they have endured months of leaks have hit out at United Utilities after the water company imposed a hosepipe ban.

Many have accused the company of ignoring water leaks to boost profits, as reservoir levels fall low after a dry start to the summer.

Millions of people in the North West will be forbidden from using hoses or sprinklers from August 5 unless there is a sustained and unexpected period of rain in the next three weeks.

The announcement follows the long-running blaze on Saddleworth Moor, near Manchester, where emergency services relied on hundreds of thousands of gallons a day from nearby mains water sources to protect life and property. The company said the firefighting effort, which involved helicopter water dumps, coincided with a 25 per cent increase in customer demand in what is thought to be the longest heatwave since 1976.

Customers have blamed the company for not fixing leaks, and say the ban could have been avoided.