A water company is calling for people in Kent to think responsibly about the amount of water they use after daily demand reached a 10-year high.

South East Water says yesterday it pumped more than 668 million litres into its network in just one day – enough to fill more than 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The company urged people to "use water wisely" saying there is plenty to go around as long as everyone is sensible.

But there was no mention of the dreaded hosepipe bans that are sometimes implemented when reservoirs are depleted.

Douglas Whitfield, operations director, said: “Temperatures have spiked rapidly and that has led to a surge in demand for water.

“Our reservoir levels are exactly where we want them to be for this time of year but it is important everyone treats water as the precious life resource that it is.

“While of course we want you to stay fully hydrated - there is no shame in having a brown lawn or a dirty car – so please think before you use your water.”

The company, which supplies water to thousands of homes across Kent, says people can help by using water butts for gardening and keeping paddling pools covered so they do not need refilling as often.

As temperatures rise into the 30s in some parts, sun-seekers have taken full advantage of the heatwave by flocking to Kent's beaches.

Hour-long delays and queues of up to 18 miles long were reported on the M2 this afternoon.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent