DESPITE a third month of heavy, well above average rainfall, Thames Water insist a hosepipe and sprinkler ban is still necessary because of low groundwater levels.

Forty per cent more rain fell on Oxfordshire in November than on average for the month (87mm compared to an average of 62mm) making it the 17th wettest November in Oxfordshire in the 123 years since records began in 1883.

There was flooding in parts of the county again, following the double downpours in Nuneham Courtenay in October.

Thames Water spokesman Lee Cowan said the hosepipe and sprinkler ban would remain in place for the foreseeable future but said that a team was checking the situation on a daily basis and reporting back to management once a week.

Ms Cowan said: "We are very pleased that November turned out to be another wet month, which will help replenish our depleted groundwater reserves.

"We still need more rain after such a prolonged drought, and the hosepipe and sprinkler ban will stay in place until groundwater levels have been fully replenished.

"We'd like to thank our customers for their water-saving efforts, and we hope they continue to save water throughout the winter."