It looks like stunned England fans needed a moment to compose themselves after crashing out of the football World Cup, according to data from Severn Trent.

With so many of us glued to the TV as England took on Argentina in the semi-finals last night, overall demand for water dropped sharply compared to the same time on a normal Wednesday evening.

Demand spiked during previous World Cup games at half-time and immediately after the final whistle blew.

After England took the lead only to lose the game to two late goals from the South Americans, however, demand rose much more slowly than expected as fans sat contemplating what might have been. 

Severn Trent Network Operations Lead Howard Perry said: "Demand between 8pm and 10pm on a Wednesday would usually be around 110 million litres. 

"Last night it was down to 82 million litres as millions of us sat watching England try to overcome the current world champions for a place in the final.

"The post-match spike was more gradual compared with other England matches we have analysed.

"We experienced the normal spike at half-time but it took much longer to return to normal levels - at least 30 minutes after the game ended. 

"It looks like devastated fans needed a few minutes to take it all in before we do what's expected of us at times like these - putting the kettle on for a cup of tea."