WILPSHIRE is still battling to go Broadband despite BT dropping the trigger levels of people interested at a number of local exchanges.

A campaign by 10-year-old Joshua Fisher has failed to generate enough interest in the new Internet technology, despite winning the support of Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans.

But Joshua, a pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, is not giving up.

He has already got more than 150 people to help get the faster connection installed in his home village so that he can play computer games and chat with his brother on-line.

BT today revealed it was speeding up its Broadband programme by lowering the threshold levels of customer interest required before an exchange is upgraded at a cost of £500,000.

Bacup, Pleasington and Great Harwood have been given a trigger of 300 for the first time while Heysham and Barnoldswick need 350 people registered.

But the Fisher family still needs at least 400 people to have the always-on internet link.

And that means no video games nor hour-long chats with Joshua's 19-year-old brother Sean who is living in Canterbury.

His father Peter of Whalley Road, Wilpshire, said today: " I am disappointed that Wilpshire's has not been reduced but we need to tell people that it is important to register.

"All we have to do is get 400 people registered, and the exchange will be converted. I am just about to get BT to get on with printing and distributing leaflets."

The father and son team have set up a website with friend John Forrest, of Wilpshire, in a bid to drum up more support.

"But we are still only up to 156 so far and Joshua is not happy. I hope that the leaflets produce the desired effect."

The Wilpshire exchange covers an area including Wilpshire, Salesbury, Dinckley, Ramsgreave, Langho, parts of Yew Tree Drive and Brownhill.

Mr Evans said: "Joshua deserves congratulations for his initiative. I know Clitheroe has just been given the go-ahead and they say they are keen to get other local areas up to the threshold for change over, so his efforts are good news indeed."

Paul Reynolds, BT Wholesale chief executive, said: "The registration scheme has helped us guide investment in Broadband to match demand.

"Our growing experience of the actual work involved allows us to be confident in lowering many of the demand levels at which we will upgrade exchanges for Broadband."

A spokesman for BT said that Joshua was the first youngster to have launched that kind of initiative. The company had organised promotional leaflets and information to help drum up interest.