"CHILL OUT" was the message today, on one of the hottest days of the year, as the public were invited to take a long, cool drink - of tap water.

Yorkshire Water were fighting back against the bottled water industry with their team of Ice Angels serving ice-cold tap water in York city centre.

The company's Best Served Chilled campaign saw the angels in Parliament Street with their "chill-out zone", a customised ice cream van which only dispenses chilled tap water.

They were giving it out to customers as well as offering advice on the benefits of tap water over bottled water.

"Over the coming months Yorkshire Water will aim to put an end to the absurd practice of putting expensive bottled water in the fridge, by encouraging customers to chill their tap water to further enhance the taste," said a Yorkshire Water spokesman.

The company said that although sales of bottled water reached £1 billion last year, tap-water is far better value - a thousand times cheaper from the tap than from the bottle.

Yorkshire Water business unit director Richard Flint said: "The bottled water industry isn't monitored as rigorously as we are. Tap water is fresh from the tap each day and is far better value for money."

Updated: 14:10 Wednesday, August 06, 2003