Large parts of England are officially in drought after the driest spring since records began.

The state of drought has been declared in East Anglia, with parts of the South West, South East, Midlands and Wales suffering from near-drought conditions, according to Defra, and consumers have been warned to use resources "wisely".

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Drought has hit parts of East Anglia, with other areas in England and Wales also giving grounds for concern.

"Water companies are confident that supplies are high enough so that widespread restrictions to the public are unlikely. We're doing all we can to reduce the impact on agriculture and wildlife, but everyone can play their part.

"Households know how to use less water and everyone can do their bit to use water more wisely, not only through the summer, but throughout the year."

Thames Water, which serves London and the Thames Valley, has urged customers to use water carefully but said hosepipe bans are unlikely, despite water levels beginning to drop.

Severn Trent Water has warned customers they could face restrictions on the use of water unless normal levels of rainfall resume, and there are also fears that a hosepipe ban could be introduced in Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Anglian Water and Cambridge Water say there is no threat to the public water supply.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) said England had experienced its driest May since records began 100 years ago. Soil in large parts of eastern and central England was also the driest on record last month.

The biggest impact of the continuing dry spell is to rivers, with waterways across southern Britain close to or at their lowest levels for this time of year, the CEH said. It added that although above-average rainfall this summer could improve conditions, the exceptionally dry ground conditions could see rivers remain low into the autumn.