THOUSANDS more homes and business in Lancashire – including Mellor, Mellor Brook, Balderstone and Clayton-le-Dale – have been told they do not have to boil their water anymore.

Most of Chorley and South Ribble have also had their supply cleared of the Cryptosporidium microscopic parasite, United Utilities said.

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It means that half the 300,000 households whose tap water was originally affected by the bug which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps are now out of the alert area.

United Utilities is advising anyone unsure whether they are in the clear by putting their postcode into the special checker at www.unitedutilities.com or call the freephone number: 0800 912 7241.

Confirmation letters are being sent to the latest group of customers who no longer need to boil their water.

Parts of Blackpool, the Fylde and Preston still remain under the alert.

The company is hopeful that more households and business will be cleared later this week with the ‘boil water’ advice completely lifted by the end of the week.

United Utilities’ customer services director Gary Dixon said: “We are making good progress in clearing the final traces of the bug, and expect to have good news for the vast majority of remaining customers by the end of the coming week.

“The notice will only be lifted in remaining areas once we and our partner agencies are completely satisfied that there is no risk .”

Public Health England says there have been no confirmed cases of sickness linked to the water supply.