NEARLY half a million people across the region are still trapped in the broadband slow lane, new figures for internet connections reveal.

In some parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire, around four in ten people live in 'low-speed' areas - amid warnings that would-be housebuyers will refuse to move there.

The blackspots are the constituencies of Durham North-West (46.2 per cent of residents), followed by Richmond (39.9 per cent), Thirsk and Malton (38 per cent) and Durham North (37.6 per cent).

In stark contrast, just 125 people in the Middlesbrough constituency lack fast broadband (0.1 per cent), with Darlington (3.1 per cent), Redcar (3.2 per cent) and York Central (five per cent) also well served.

The figures were revealed just days before the government announces a second wave of trial areas to receive help to expand superfast broadband connections.

Durham County Council has submitted a 9m funding bid to join the scheme, promising speeds of up to 50 megabits-per-second to remote areas, which commercial providers are unlikely to reach.

But, in a Commons debate last week, culture minister Ed Vaizey admitted it would be "bad news" for most of the 17 areas that have bid to an 530m broadband investment fund. Only four or five are likely to go ahead.

North Yorkshire is among four areas that formed the first wave of the initiative, last October - along with Cumbria, Herefordshire and the Scottish Highlands.

Meanwhile, Labour - which released the figures - accused the government of tearing up its plans to introduce minimum broadband speeds in every part of the country, by the end of next year.

Ian Lucas, the party's industry spokesman, said the Coalition had pushed that timetable back to 2015, which meant it would miss a European Union target to act by 2013.

He added: "Universal broadband is not simply a useful tool for households, but is essential to the ability of the United Kingdom to stay competitive and achieve strong growth.

"Areas with universal broadband access are more likely to attract investment, due to the key infrastructure for competitiveness and growth being in place."

Mr Vaizey said that, following this week's go-aheads, any local council with broadband plans could bid directly to the organisation Broadband Delivery UK.

He told MPs: "Let me offer a crumb of comfort to those who may get bad news, because we will have to say no to a few."