One in seven drivers risking £1,000 fine

Nearly one in seven motorists admit to risking a £1,000 fine by breaking the current hosepipe ban to wash their vehicle, according to research commissioned by car care people, Comma. The restriction currently affects 13 million people in the UK.

Perhaps predictably, men are the worst offenders, accounting for two thirds of the people who had no qualms about using a hosepipe rather than the recommended bucket and sponge.

"Much of the willingness to break the ban is down to a belief that you have to use gallons and gallons of water to get that showroom sparkle," says Mike Bewsey, spokesman for Comma.

"In reality, summer dirt is invariably a thin layer of dust and flies, which should only require a couple of buckets, the correct cleaning products and an application of commonsense."

Unfortunately, research shows that a third of car owners believe they need at least 60 litres of water, compared to the 20-or so litres, advocated by Comma. Only one in four motorists said they restrict themselves to a couple of buckets of recycled water.

Men proved to be the most resourceful here, with males accounting for 55% of those who said they would use 20 litres or less. At the other end of the scale, 11% of those surveyed reckoned they couldn’t do the job without splashing out on at least 100 litres!