Catherine Mackinlay

South West Water will impose a temporary hosepipe ban from 12:01 a.m. Saturday across Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset, and the Isles of Scilly. The restrictions, prompted by prolonged low rainfall, drought conditions and high demand, prohibit hosepipe use for gardening, vehicle and property cleaning, and filling pools. Exemptions apply to some vulnerable customers, while the company urges everyone to conserve water. The announcement comes ahead of a forecast heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching 36°C in parts of southeast England, and follows confirmation that July 2026 was the driest July on record for England and Wales.

Aaron Strachan was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after pleading guilty to abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl in a basement in May 2025. He also admitted stabbing one man and attacking another with a claw hammer. Strachan was identified through DNA, briefly escaped custody after an earlier court appearance, and received an indefinite sentence with a minimum five-year term before parole consideration. He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.