RICH elites are overconsuming water for their own personal leisure and leaving poorer people without basic access in cities across the world, research has found.

The international team of researchers from Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands focused their study on Cape Town, South Africa, but found similar issues in 80 cities worldwide, including London.

It found that social inequalities are exacerbating urban water crises more than climate change or population growth, as the richest people use water for swimming pools, gardens and washing cars when others lack basic means.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a hydrologist at the University of Reading who co-authored the study, said: “Climate change and population growth mean that water is becoming a more precious resource in big cities, but we have shown that social inequality is the biggest problem for poorer people getting access to water for their everyday needs.

“More than 80 big cities worldwide have suffered from water shortages due to droughts and unsustainable water use over the past 20 years, but our projections show this crisis could get worse still as the gap between the rich and the poor widens in many parts of the world.”