DINERS should insist on getting free tap water in restaurants, according to a consumer champion.

It is "hundreds of times" cheaper than bottled water and creates less waste, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said.

Dame Yve Buckland, chair of CCWater, urged people not to feel embarrassed about ordering tap water instead of paying for bottled water when eating out.

She said: "Christmas and the New Year are expensive enough as it is.

Meters

"The last thing you want when you are out at a restaurant is to have your request for tap water snubbed, or be required to pay for it. Consumers should feel able to insist on tap water."

Her comments follow the initial findings of the CCWater's Using Water Wisely report based on a survey of some 2,000 people.

It reveals that 76% of respondents felt water companies were not doing enough to save water.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents thought customers should be able to choose whether to have a water meter installed.

This narrowly beat 46% who thought meters should be compulsory in order to charge people for the amount of water they actually use.

Miles Quest, spokesman for the British Hospitality Association which represents around UK hotels and restaurants, said: "It isn't a legal obligation, but almost every restaurant would provide tap water if you asked for it."

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