WEST Dunbartonshire has seen one of the biggest surges in superfast broadband access of anywhere in the UK, according to new figures.

According to data from the broadband checker website ThinkBroadband, the area saw availability of gigabit-capable broadband rise from 1 per cent in July 2020 to 95 per cent today.

West Dunbartonshire is the only Scottish area in the UK top 20, with the list topped by Kingston-upon-Hill in East Yorkshire at 99.08 per cent.

In the UK as a whole, just over half - 50.2 per cent - of properties across the country are able to access the superfast internet connection, up from around 6 per cent in January 2019.

Faster broadband speeds are becoming increasingly necessary as more internet-connected smart devices become available for the home, and online streaming services become more prevalent.

ThinkBroadband editor Andrew Ferguson said: "We are pleased to see the UK break through the 50 per cent mark for gigabit availability across the UK.

"If existing plans from providers come to fruition we are looking at 65 to 68 per cent gigabit coverage in early 2022.

“The next few years are going to be transformative for the UK broadband market with the many full-fibre networks being built and we look forward to mapping all of them and ensuring the public can easily see what their broadband options are.”

Nadine Dorries, the UK Government's culture secretary, said: "We’ve passed the halfway point in our national mission to level up the UK with lightning-fast gigabit broadband.

"Millions of people can now access the fastest, most reliable internet connections, allowing them full advantage of new technologies over the next 40 years."