In response to threatening water shortage reports, Mayor Ken Livingstone suggests residents not "flush the lavatory if you have just had a pee."

The water shortage facing the south of England forced Livingstone to take dramatic action to avert a crisis and address the situation.

At a press conference at City Hall, Livingstone suggested, "The quickest and most dramatic impact is, don't use a sprinkler or hose in the garden, don't use a hose to wash your car and don't flush the lavatory if you have just had a pee."

According to Livingstone, the measure would be a matter of personal choice, admitting he had changed his own behavior.

The Environment Agency said hosepipe and sprinkler bans were likely this summer, as parts of England face a drought. South-east England has had the driest winter since 1976, with eight consecutive months of below-average rainfall.