Dorset's water provider has fared well in a watchdog's annual complaints report.

The Consumer Council for Water’s (CCWater) report details household complaints to water companies in England and Wales.

Of England’s nine water and sewerage companies, Wessex Water received the lowest number of written complaints per 10,000 connected properties in 2018/19.

There were 1,889 written complaints in 2018/19 compared with 1,787 in 2017/18.

The report also shows the company took fewer phone calls from customers to resolve problems, known as ‘unwanted contacts’, than the previous year – 79,615 down to 77,478.

Andy Pymer, managing director of Wessex Water Services, said: “We would love to get things right every time, and we regard any complaint about the services we provide as one too many. But it’s heartening to be leading the way when it comes to water and sewerage companies. We pride ourselves on resolving complaints quickly and we’re always striving to improve.”

CCWater is demanding an urgent improvement from Thames Water, Northumbrian Water, Essex and Suffolk Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy, whose performance have caused the greatest concern.

Almost half of customers’ grievances related to problems with their bill or charges but there was also a 28 per cent rise in complaints about water supply and pressure, as some companies struggled to manage the challenges posed by a bitterly cold spring and sweltering summer.