A Norfolk MP who beat Ed and David Miliband in the MP web awards has said how crucial fast and reliable broadband is.

George Freeman, who represents mid Norfolk, was the overall winner at the event this week.

After receiving the award, he said: 'It was an honour to accept this award and for the website to be recognized in this way, and I hope that my constituents find it a helpful resource.

'Much has been said already about the importance of achieving improved Broadband access across the UK to help people work from home, boost business, and avoid rural isolation, but it strikes me today that with rising usage of the internet in politics, fast Broadband is also crucial for ensuring people can join the democratic process.'

The awards, organised by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, recognise MPs who use the internet to engage effectively with their constituents.

Earlier this year the EDP launched its Back the Broadband Bid campaign, before the government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) announced in May that it would award Norfolk County Council a �15m grant.

The ambitious scheme to introduce faster broadband will cost �60m and work has already started. By March 2015, every single home and business in Norfolk should have access to speeds of at least 2Mbps.