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A Borders town has become a major contender for the next installation of super-fast broadband in the UK.

Innerleithen has broken the vital 1,000 vote barrier in BT's .

It puts it into fifth spot in the poll, with more than 71% of the local population having registered their interest in receiving the service.

The five UK exchanges with the highest percentage of votes - subject to a minimum of 1,000 votes - will get an upgrade by early 2012 at the latest.

It emerged last month that a Borders village had become the first place in Scotland where every resident had voted for super-fast broadband.

The whole 47-strong community of Abbey St Bathans had registered with the Race To Infinity.

Now Innerleithen is in a strong position to secure an exchange upgrade in the next two years.

Leading the way are Blewbury in Oxfordshire and Caxton in Cambridgeshire, with more than 86% of locals voting for the service.

The Scottish Borders town has a narrow lead over sixth-placed Whitchurch in Hampshire.

No other Scottish site currently features in the top 10 places, with voting due to close at the end of the month.