A drought has been declared in Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of the West Midlands today by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency said it expects and will ensure water companies follow their drought management plans as well as step up work to fix leaks.

The East Midlands also officially entered drought today and people across England are being urged to use water wisely.

Rainfall in Staffordshire dropped significantly in June, with just 37% of what is normally expected, compared to around 50% in other counties in the Severn Trent region, which means there's less water in reservoirs and rivers.

Severn Trent warned last week that water levels at Tittesworth Reservoir were falling amid the recent hot weather and lack of rainfall in June.

A statement from the Environment Agency said: "In the Midlands, public water supplies are currently secure, but we are seeing adverse effects on the natural environment due to the ongoing lack of rain.

"And while groundwater levels have been normal across the region, they are starting to fall.

"Meanwhile, river levels are already low with some river flows in the region at their lowest for June since 1976."

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