PEOPLE living in Polperro say they are being 'fobbed off' by Superfast Cornwall which has been keeping them waiting 'for far too long' for a connection.

Residents in the Killigarth and Carey Park area want to know why they are still without Superfast broadband when other parts of the village have been connected since 2012.

Now 138 households out of the 177 in the area have signed a petition as part of a residents' campaign to get connected.

Petition organiser Sally Harmer said: 'We just cannot understand why this is taking so long. The petition demonstrates the level of support for high-speed broadband, so surely they are missing out on an opportunity to increase revenue.'

Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall councillor for Lansallos parish, said she was supporting the residents' plea and had contacted Superfast Cornwall on their behalf. 'They were not able to give me a reason for the long delay,' she said.

'Cornwall Council has invested millions of pounds of European structural funds into this project and we were promised that all communities would see an improvement in broadband speeds. This delay is holding back rural businesses in this part of Polperro and is very frustrating for residents.'

In answer to people still waiting for connections in the county, Superfast Cornwall issued a statement saying: 'Over the last two years, Superfast Cornwall has brought fibre broadband to 85 per cent of people living in the county, but we're very aware of the frustrations felt by businesses and residents who are still waiting for faster speeds.

'We ask that they remain patient. There is still a significant amount of time left in the programme – the rollout continues until the end of 2014. At this point in the project, engineers face the more tricky part of the build and have to overcome the challenges and factors relating to difficult terrain and remoteness.

'Unfortunately, it's difficult for us to predict future dates for individual connections as the planning and build process is ongoing and often completes just before areas go live. Please know we're working hard to get the best solution for businesses and residents in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.'