More than 7,000 people have joined a group opposing a change to the water supply and a petition has been launched calling for a rethink.

Since United Utilities began mixing soft water from Ennerdale with water from Egremont boreholes in June, people have been complaining of a raft of health problems.

A Facebook page, called West Cumbria Water Supply (Save our Water Services), has now been set up and has so far attracted 7,600 members in a fortnight.

And Copeland MP Trudy Harrison has also launched a petition urging the Environment Agency to allow the water company to continue extracting all of its water from Ennerdale.

She said since the change she has been inundated with calls from residents asking to help.

"Here in Copeland we have received fresh Ennerdale water since the 1850s, and we as a community are accustomed to the soft water of Ennerdale and should not have to make do with a 50:50 mix," she said.

Mrs Harrison is urging people to sign the petition ahead of a meeting she's organised with the Environment Agency, United Utilities, The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Copeland mayor Mike Starkie."

The merge of Ennerdale water with that from boreholes means West Cumbria's water supply is now harder than in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool with the amount of calcium carbonate rising from 6mg per litre to 75mg, and being classed as ‘moderately soft’.

The Environment Agency now legally requires United Utilities to reduce water abstraction from Ennerdale and the River Ehen to protect sensitive natural habitats. In 2022, water will instead be sourced from Thirlmere.

Wayne McCarron, who set up the Facebook group in July, said he's shocked by the attention it has attracted.

"I'd seen a number of people reporting symptoms such as itching, rashes, eczema, swellings, vomiting and stomach cramps," he told the News & Star.

"The group has highlighted just how many people are suffering and the varying effects that the water supply change is having."

The group's aim is to become a forum for people to share experiences and advice as well as applying pressure to the water company and local MPs to find an alternative solution, he added.

A spokeswoman for United Utilities said: "While the water is completely safe to drink, we do understand that our customers are unhappy about the change.

"We have expressed those concerns to the Environment Agency and we are in discussions to see whether a compromise may be reached for both the environment and our customers."