THE Yorkshire Dales fair particularly badly in a national survey of rural areas which have poor connections for high-speed broadband access – the so called broadband “not spots.”

This is one of the conclusions reached by the Country Land and Business Association after members carried out a survey amongst thousands of visitors to the Game Show at Belvoir Castle, near Grantham, and the Great Yorkshire Show earlier this month.

The Yorkshire branch of the CLA has issued a report of their findings, which make depressing reading for people who run small businesses in rural areas of the county, findings that will be presented to British Telecom as part of the association’s campaign for better telephone access for broadband users.

There are “not-spots” around the Whitby area, Thirsk and Malton but “the Yorkshire Dales fared particularly badly in Swaledale and Wharfedale,” says county adviser Jane Harrison.