Work to link businesses in a Gloucestershire village to superfast broadband has won national recognition.

The Connected Britain awards have recognised the work undertaken in the Gloucestershire village of Chedworth by Gigaclear, under the Fastershire project, in the Community Improvement category.

The awards, which took place in London, aim to promote the innovation and achievement of companies at the forefront of Britain's digital transformation.

Amy Dickenson, who runs Chedworth Farm Shop, which includes a café and campsite, said: "It is real! The guys that installed it were great. Some of them still come in to our café.

"It is hugely important. Our customers have access to it, and it helps us with the business. Everything we do is now online - from invoices to emails to up-loading and downloading. It makes a big difference."

Councillor Lynden Stowe, Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for economy, skills and growth and responsibility for Fastershire, said, "We're committed to ensuring that homes and businesses can access faster broadband and it is wonderful that Fastershire's work with Gigaclear in Chedworth has received this award.

"Fastershire's rollout is continuing in others areas of the county and over the next two years the project will have increased superfast coverage to 98 per cent."

Paul Hodgkinson, a Gloucestershire County Councillor for the parish, said, "Broadband access is vital for a rural community like Chedworth and the parish council, residents and myself have long petitioned for improved broadband speeds.

"We're delighted that Chedworth is not only accessing faster broadband but is now amongst some of the best-connected communities in the country."

Joe Frost, Gigaclear business development director, said, "Almost 500 residential and business properties throughout the village are now able to benefit from an ultrafast boost, catapulting them from their 1-3Mbps up to 1000Mbps today."

Gloucestershire County Council's, Fastershire Broadband Project, in partnership with Herefordshire Council, is funding the delivery of faster broadband to homes and businesses across the two counties.

Gigaclear were awarded the Fastershire delivery contract for the Cotswolds in 2015 and has been providing ultrafast broadband to premises across the Cotswolds, including Chedworth.

Gigaclear specialise in transforming digital communications in rural communities by installing a new pure fibre broadband network offering speeds from 50 through 1,000Mbps