Gardeners say Thames Water's decision to continue imposing a domestic hosepipe and sprinkler ban over the winter will have only a minimal impact on conserving water.

The company claims the continuation of the ban is necessary to save water over the coming months.

A Thames Water spokesman said: "While customers are unlikely to use hosepipes as much as they would do in drier months, we believe there is some potential use of hosepipes if the weather turns hot and dry again.

"The recent rain has been welcome, but we cannot guarantee it will continue. We could well experience another dry winter, which could lead to serious problems next year.

"That's why we need to be prudent and conserve our supplies as much as we can."

Oxford gardeners say the ban may lead to small water savings from people not using hosepipes to wash their cars but say they would not use hosepipes in the winter.

Mike Gass, who coordinates the Oxford in Bloom competition, said he could not imagine gardeners would use hosepipes.

Competition judge Harry Robinson, who lives in Headington, added: "There is no one that I know who would use a hosepipe over the winter months and I have never used one over the winter.

"To continue with the ban is completely pointless - I don't think it will achieve anything at all."

Susan Cadd-Wright, of Cowley, added: "I did not use a hosepipe last winter when it was really dry, I just used a watering can - that's what all gardeners do. I don't think keeping the ban will make much difference."

Thames Water says it hopes to lift the domestic hosepipe and sprinkler ban at some stage over the winter months providing there is enough rain.

It estimated that at the height of the summer, average water consumption dropped by eight per cent and 10 per cent on the hottest days - saving 322 million litres of water a day or 3.5 million baths.

Weathermen say they cannot predict how much rain will fall this autumn.