Eleven Oxfordshire residents have been reported by their neighbours for flouting the hosepipe ban by washing their cars and watering their gardens.

Thames Water introduced the restrictions across the region nine days ago in the face of severe drought, but this has not had an impact on water usage in the county, says the company.

The ban the first in the region for 15 years forbids the domestic use of hosepipes and sprinklers in the garden or for washing cars.

Yesterday, the firm renewed its warning that persistent offenders could be fined up to £1,000 and appealed for people to shop anyone not respecting the ban.

The company said that 118 of its eight million customers had been reported for flouting the restrictions in the first few days of the ban.

Eleven of those were in Oxfordshire, but Thames Water was not prepared to say which areas of the county they came from.

Spokesman Robin Markwell said: "These are only people we know about.

"Hosepipes use 540 litres an hour, which is enough to supply a family of four for a day.

"People can call the Drought Line if they see anyone breaching the hosepipe ban."

The water company is operating a 'three strikes and you're out' system. First-time offenders will be written to, a repeat offence will incur another letter and a personal visit, and a third offence could result in legal action.

Mr Markwell said: "We are not actively out there with patrol teams seeking out those using hosepipes, but we will follow up any reports.

"We are channelling our resources to addressing leakage problems and getting leakages down."

However another ThamesWater spokesman, Hilary Bennett, admitted the ban had had little effect so far.

"There's been no decrease in water usage since the start of the hosepipe ban," she said.

"The situation is giving us concern."

f=85 Helvetica Heavy q=loTo report breaches of the rules, call the Thames Water customer service telephone line on 0845 9200 800. It is not forbidden to fill a watering can with a hosepipe for use in the garden.

q=cmaddy.biddulph@nqo.com RAINFALL STILL DOWN NO-NO: Using a hosepipe in your garden like this is now strictly prohibited and some householders have been caught out and reported by neighbours rainfall panel AVERAGE rainfall in March in Oxfordshire was 79 per cent below the average for the time of year, which is equivalent to 49mm of rain. The county has now seen below-average rainfall for the past 17 months.

Thames Water spokesman Hilary Bennett said: "We still urge everyone to save water." Water-saving tips Install a water-saving device to fit in your toilet cistern, saving up to three litres per flush. These can be obtained free from Thames Water on 0845 9200800.

l+4oTake a quick shower instead of a bath but beware, as power showers can use more than a bath.

l+4oEnsure, before using it, that you have a full load in your washing machine or dishwasher.

l+4oDon't leave the tap running while brushing your teeth or washing vegetables, as this can waste up to six litres per minute.

l+4oFix dripping taps making a saving of up to 140 litres per week.