RESIDENTS showed their frustration at missing out on the latest rollout of superfast broadband by handing over a petition to Dorset County Council.

Campaigner Claire Upton was joined at County Hall by Uploders residents - dressed in country style with hats and wellies to show their 'anger at being treated as country bumpkins' by missing out on the broadband rollout.

Residents pinned notices to them with their job titles - highlighting how much Uploders businesses rely on broadband.

Mrs Upton said: "We have been told it is too expensive to bring fibre optic cable to the village - but where has the £10m plus of local money gone?

"It would appear to have gone to the cheaper, easier bits, leaving out those areas which really needed public investment - public money going to where it is least needed, not where it is most needed. That is plainly not fair or right.

"The other excuse we have been given is that it would mean us all having to change our phone numbers and that wouldn't be acceptable. But who says that? Yes it would be a hassle for some of us, but it's a short term pain for a long term gain."

The group are concerned that a requirement to provide fibre optic broadband for only 95 percent of each county, means that smaller communities could be left isolated.

Residents in Loders, which is separated from Uploders by 300 yards of farmland, will be able to benefit from the next roll-out of fibre-optic high speed broadband.

Mrs Upton collected signatures from 114 Uploders householders who were contactable, out of a total of 128 households on behalf of the Uploders Superfast Broadband Campaign (USB). Of the 114 premises, 57 have a business, work or educational need - requiring a future-proof broadband.

Residents highlighted jobs held by villagers outside County Hall including international human resources manager, adjudicator to the Ombudsman for Parliamentary and Health Services, town planner and chartered civil and structural engineer.

USB campaigner Carolyn Stewart said: "As most of the people who run the businesses need to be working at this time of day, we will be representing them and their need for proper sustainable broadband.

"As you can see from some of the jobs described, we are a working village and we deserve access to the most efficient means of communication to run our businesses."

The petition was received by Cllr Daryl Turner, chairman of Dorset County Council's environment overview committee, and Dugald Lockhart, Superfast Dorset project lead.

Dorset County Council said that they were aware of the problems in Uploders, and in other parts of the county - and the petition will be discussed at the next meeting of the environment overview committee later this month.