Water restrictions were introduced in April after two unusually dry winters

Hosepipe bans are to be lifted for thousands of Kent homes - but remain for others.

Thames Water and Southern Water are set to announce the restrictions will be officially removed tomorrow.

However, South East Water and Veolia - which also serve some Kent homes - say bans will remain in force.

The restrictions were introduced in April to combat drought after two unusually dry winters left some groundwater supplies and rivers as low as in the drought year of 1976.

But record rainfall levels since then - including heavy downpours that have battered Kent for the last 48 hours - have replenished supplies.

South East Water says its hosepipe ban is likely to remain until at least the autumn.

It claims that, while recent rainfall has boosted river and reservoir levels, it has had little impact on its groundwater sources.

These provide three-quarters of all South East customers' water supplies, which is why the company is keeping the restrictions.

Paul Seeley, from South East Water, said: "All water companies must stick to their drought management plans which are agreed with our regulators.

"Just as those companies who are now in a position to withdraw their restrictions will be following theirs, so must we comply with ours and retain them.

"We hope our customers understand why we are taking the action we are – these depleted reserves still need to see us through the summer, if it ever arrives, while we must also plan for the possibility of a third dry winter.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for the extraordinary efforts they have made so far, while reassuring them that we are prudently managing the water resources we do have and as soon as we are confident the groundwater sources have recovered we will remove the restrictions."

Thames Water and Southern Water are lifting the hosepipe ban alongside Anglian Water.

However, restrictions also remain in areas served by Sutton and East Surrey Water and Veolia Water Central.

Richard Aylard, from Thames Water, said: "The hosepipe ban has been in place for nine weeks and it's been raining for seven of them - and in some cases exceptionally hard.

"But we didn't know that in April when, on the back of the driest two-year period in history, we imposed the ban to make sure there was, regardless of the weather, enough water to supply our customers all through the year."