HYPERFAST broadband could soon be on its way to Ingleton following a public meeting to get the project under way.

Organisers were "highly delighted" after more than 130 people turned up to hear speaker Barry Forde of B4RN, or Broadband for the Rural North Ltd, launch the Hyperfast Ingleton Community Project, at Ingleborough Community Centre.

He told villagers how B4RN, a fibre optic broadband network run as a not-for-profit community benefit society, had got other projects started in North Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Simon Peach, of the broadband project in Clapham, also addressed the meeting.

Martyn Sutton, one of the meeting organisers, said: "We wanted to gauge if there was sufficient demand in Ingleton and the answer was a resounding 'yes'!

"We are harvesting the information from people at the meeting and getting the ball rolling by organising a steering committee.

"Already a couple of farmers have come forward to say they have mole-ploughs which could be used to lay fibre optic cable.

"And Matt Green and Ellie West of film production company Summit Fever Media say they are keen to get involved and are moving to Ingleton partly for better broadband. These are exciting times and show what can be done when the community works together to make things happen."

B4RN was launched in December 2011 by volunteers led by Barry Forde, an industry expert. As it is registered as a community benefit society it cannot be bought by a commercial operator and all profits have to be distributed to the community.