Hosepipe ban automated message wakes people

An overnight phone call alerting people to a water firm's hosepipe ban has annoyed customers after they said they were woken by the automated message.

South West Water's hosepipe ban came into force at 00:01 BST on Saturday, with Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset and the Isles of Scilly all affected.

A number of people in Devon and Cornwall told the BBC they received the automated message on their landline in the early hours of Saturday, while dozens of other people highlighted the issue on social media.

South West Water apologised and said it was working with its communications provider to understand why the automated messages were received "later than intended".

Liz Alsbury, from Marldon, near Paignton, Devon, said she was in bed when her phone rang and woke her up at 05:30.

She said she leapt out of bed and believed "some kind of disaster had happened or somebody had died," only to find an automated message from South West Water saying there was a hosepipe ban.

"We already knew that," Alsbury said.

"I understand many people might not have. However, at 05:30 in the morning... that can be very frightening, very worrying..."

Many people took to social media to share their frustrations, including on the Bude Notice Board.

One person said they were "furious" after the call during the early hours "frightened" their 90-year-old mum.

Another person wrote: "You always think the worst when the phone goes at that time of night."

And another person posted: "My mum who is 100 next month did [get a call] at 12.27am, as she couldn't get out of bed quick enough, all she could hear in other room as answerphone cut in, was a voice talking about hosepipe. Frightened her a lot and very distressed this morning about it."

South West Water said: "We sent communications to customers on Friday to ensure they were aware of the temporary use ban and any applicable exemptions.

"We are aware that some customers received automated voice messages later than intended, including during the early hours of the morning, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused.

"We are currently working with our communications provider to understand exactly why this occurred and are reviewing the process and controls used for future customer communications."

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