A water company has committed to keep its bills flat in real terms for five years.

Sutton and East Surrey Water said it will not raise its bills for the next five years and the only increases people will see will be caused by inflation.

Sutton and East Surrey Water supplies to 265,000 homes and 17,000 businesses across Morden, Croydon and Sutton, as well as East Surrey and parts of Kent and Sussex.

The pledge has been set out in its business plan for 2015 to 2020, as presented to water regulator Ofwat earlier this week, which also includes promises to reduce leaks and introduce a new tariff for people in financial difficulty.

The plan comes after the company surveyed its customers to see what they most wanted.

Chairman Jeremy Pelczer said: "We listened carefully to the views of our customers and stakeholders and have taken into account the challenging economic conditions.

"Our plan confirms there will be no increase in average bills before inflation over the next five years. Only inflation index adjustments will occur in each year of the plan."