Farmers from some of the most rural areas of Norfolk have travelled to London to take communications officials to task over poor broadband speeds.

Norfolk National Farmers' Union members explained that despite the outdoor nature of their profession, an adequate broadband service is still essential for their daily operations.

Diss-based pig farmer Richard Mortimer told the Norwich Evening News how the network in his area crashed so often that he has resorted to printing documents and posting them manually as he cannot rely on his email service. 

An important part of his working day involves recording the movements of pigs on his farm, a process that is dependent on broadband access. Mr Mortimer said: "Sometimes you could be waiting half a day and then you could get three-quarters of the way through it and then it crashes."

The London meeting was chaired by Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman, who conceded that urgent action was needed to ease the worries of the region's farmers. He announced there would be a summit in the capital next month to identify the most appropriate service providers for a Norfolk upgrade.

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