A NON-PROFIT making campaign group has been launched to help bring broadband internet access to villages in the Andover area.

The Broadband4Weyhill campaign group is working to raise awareness of the need for residents in the area to pre-register their interest in broadband access.

The group has the backing of Andover MP, Sir George Young, who said: "I was delighted to hear of your campaign, which has my full support.

"As a subscriber in Penton Mewsey who works from home, broadband would improve the service that I can offer my constituents."

Miranda Van De Heijning, spokeswoman for the BT Wholesale Broadband Deployment team, said: "We are reviewing exchanges when they reached about 200 pre-registrations."

For Weyhill this means that as soon as they reach the required number a full cost analysis will be carried out.

This could take several months, as engineers will have to go to the exchange, take up the data and return it to BT so calculations can be done.

Richard Grant, one of the campaigners, is a professional web designer based at Kimpton, a village without broadband internet access and which BT has no plans to upgrade.

"We are in danger of being left behind, because of where we happen to live.

"In the future, businesses based in the area will be disadvantaged to those with broadband access," said Mr Grant.

The Weyhill exchange covers Kimpton, Thruxton, Fyfield, Appleshaw, Amport, Penton Mewsey, Penton Grafton, Cholderton, Rambridge Park, Clanville, Amport and Weyhill.

"If residents don't want to be left on the wrong side of the digital divide, they need to register their interest as soon as possible," Mr Grant added.

For more information on the Broadband4Weyhill campaign visit www.broadband4weyhill.org.uk or for further information about broadband visit www.bt. com/broadband