THAMES Water has been giving away water saving devices to reduce the amount of water used when toilets are flushed.

The company has donated 'hippos' and save-a-flush devices, which can be fitted to toilets in homes.

Thames Water has been calling for people to save water this summer amid fears a hosepipe ban could be on its way. The toilet devices limit the amount of water used per flush.

They could save over 1.5 million litres of water every day.

Lynn Launchbury, the company's water efficiency campaign manager, said: "We're keen to encourage customers to use water wisely, particularly after a winter which has seen less than half the normal rainfall.

"Most toilet cisterns fitted in the last 10 years are already water efficient but there are many others which use more water than necessary."

Earlier this month the Adver reported how a hosepipe ban could be in force this summer after the driest winter for nearly 30 years.

The crisis comes just nine months after Swindon was swamped by floods and could mean the town's first hose pipe ban for 15 years.