BT Openreach has announced they have completed a large recruitment drive from areas including Ryedale.

To improve its customer service in the Yorkshire region, the BT network business has recruited 140 engineers and apprentices, including more than 120 engineers, 17 apprentices and five graduates to help install new lines and fix faults more quickly.

Malton was one of seven areas targeted by the drive.

The new recruits are also working on rolling out fibre broadband to more households and businesses beyond the nearly two million premises in the region, which already have access to the high speed technology.

Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, said: "Improving the service that we provide to customers is my number one priority, and these new engineering recruits will be helping us connect more people on time and fix faults faster.

"Openreach is already rolling out superfast fibre broadband and is helping the Government achieve its aim of reaching 95 per cent of UK premises by the end of 2017.

"As we take the UK beyond superfast, many of these engineers will also be helping us get ultrafast speeds to up to 12 million homes by the end of 2020.

"We're making big investments to build and maintain our network, but we recognise there's much more to do and we want to attract the very best people to help us on that journey."