South Shropshire families without water for months

Residents in parts of south Shropshire have been left without water for more than 11 weeks – forcing them to travel for miles to have showers and get basic supplies.

Springs supplying at least a dozen homes, farms and businesses in the Cwm area, near Clun, have dried up due to the lack of rain.

In some cases people have travelled as far as Birmingham to get supplies from relatives, while friends in nearby communities such as Knighton, Clun and Hopesay have also come to the rescue of those affected.

A 9,000-litre tanker truck has also been provided by Severn Trent Water officials as a short-term measure.

Due to the dry weather, springs in hilly areas have been drying up, cutting off the supply to homes.

Coraine Oakley and her husband David, who have continued to run Quilmore Holiday Cottage, said her 99-year-old father Les Hawkes had been pumping water for the family at his home in Birmingham.

She said: "Friends have been wonderful, you really find out how supportive people are at a time like this."

Amy Weiser, press spokeswoman for Severn Trent Water, said: "Severn Trent Water's responsibility is with its own customers. It has been a very dry year and there are lots of people with issues, and in many cases linking up to the mains system would be very expensive. We have provided a tanker truck as a short-term measure as a buffer zone to give people living in the Cwm area some relief so that a long-term solution can be found."