Complaints about water supplies in the Hertfordshire area have shown a major drop, regulators revealed today.

According to the Consumer Council for Water, complaints, against Veolia Water Central, which supplies Hertfordshire were 30 per cent down last year, against a 17 per cent national decline.

The watchdog claims credit for suppliers' improved performance, but pledges to keep the pressure on water companies.

Its chairwoman, Dame Yve Buckland, said: “Water customers are used to hearing about year on year rises in complaints, but we’ve been working hard to put pressure on water companies, particularly those with poor complaint numbers, to improve their performance. We are beginning to see progress from many of them. "