A POPULAR gin company is advising its customers to stay off the booze until the heatwave passes.

York Gin is taking the unusual step to advise its customers to refrain from drinking Gin and Tonics today and tomorrow (July 18 and 19) as temperatures in York are forecasted to hit 39 degrees.

The company has said that as alcohol is a diuretic and makes you sweat more, they advise people to opt for more hydrating drinks instead.

Founding director, Emma Godivala, said: “These temperatures are just crazy - and we think the best thing people can do is to concentrate on staying as cool as possible, and avoiding dehydration.

“We’re very happy for customers to keep buying our gins during the heatwave - ideally online at yorkgin.com from a darkened room with a fan on full blast and with their feet in a bucket of iced water.

‘We’re also very keen for them to raise a G&T toast when it’s all over. We think by then we'll all need a double.”

York Gin is looking after their distillery and shop staff with extra air conditioning, and they won’t be distilling any gin on Monday and Tuesday as it involves heating the copper still.

Customers will still be able to try the gins in their city centre shops on Pavement and in York rail station, but staff will be repeating the company’s advice.

The York Gin shops also stock a non-alcoholic 'gin' by Yorkshire company Bax Botanicals.