WORCESTERSHIRE'S water supplier is urging people to take a few simple steps to avoid the misery of burst water pipes caused by the freezing weather.

With temperatures dipping, the risk of pipes freezing and householders being left with no water increases.

"Burst pipes in the home are ultimately the responsibility of the homeowner," said Jonathan Bailey, director of customer relations for Severn Trent Water.

"Prevention will ensure customers avoid inconvenient and often costly repair jobs. We believe prevention is better than cure and have come up with six simple steps to help our customers avoid ending up in deep water."

The six steps to avoid frozen pipes are:

6 Make sure you know where your stop tap is, in case of problems.

6 Insulate water tanks and pipes in unheated areas. Proper insulation could help save money on energy bills too.

6 Stop draughts. A cold draught may be enough to freeze a pipe.

6 Keep your boiler well serviced to keep the house heated.

6 Repair dripping taps and faulty washers to stop waste pipes freezing.

6 Leave the heating on low if you are away from home.

Mr Bailey urged homeowners to contact a plumber as soon as their water supply became frozen, to avoid damage once it thawed.

"Quite simply, if pipes become frozen in the home, customers will have no water.

"It's essential a plumber is called at this stage to check for any cracks or splits."

He also urged people to report any water leaks coming from the road, resulting from damage to Severn Trent's own pipe network.

They should phone the 24-hour free phone number 0800 783 4444.