SHERSTON has gained the 200 Broadband registrations BT says it needs before it will conduct a feasibility study into whether to bring the technology to the village.

The news comes after campaigners in Malmesbury announced they were launching a website this week to try and get the number of registrations there to the 350 BT says is needed before it will consider updating its exchange.

Broadband offers businesses and individuals an Internet access which is ten times faster than a normal phone line.

Members of Sherston Business Group, set up by local businesses to campaign to make the technology available in the village, said they are happy the figure has been reached.

Group spokesman Irene Johnston said: "We are absolutely delighted with that figure.

"We have kept up the pressure and had just 56 registrations at around Christmas time.

"The main employers in the town have been doing their bit and we have had support from the parish council."

Ms Johnston, who runs a PR company in the village, said it was now up to BT to act.

She added that Sherston was in talks with Malmesbury to work on a joint campaign.

At the moment Malmesbury, which is on a different telephone exchange to Sherston, is just 40 registrations away from reaching its trigger figure.

In a final push to achieve the target, campaigner William Allbrook has set up a website which can be reached at www.broadbandformalmesbury.co.uk .

He said he was hoping they could reach the total very soon.

He said: "We will have the website up and running and then we will be producing some stickers so we can put them on everybody's jumpers as they walk along the High Street."

A BT spokesman said the cost of upgrading exchanges to carry Broadband is too expensive unless there is sufficient demand.

"It is up to communities to register their interest before we will look at improving exchanges," he said.

To register your interest in Malmesbury or Sherston see www.bt.com/broadband for more information.