COUNCIL chiefs have secured backing to sink another £3.2 million into superfast broadband - despite a row about it helping people who choose to live with "badgers and rabbits" in rural areas.

Worcestershire County Council's opposition Labour group has failed in a last-ditch attempt to stop the project with BT being expanded.

As your Worcester News revealed last month, after more than 6,000 people signed up to the super-advanced internet speeds a 'clawback' mechanism means BT must give County Hall some money back.

Because take-up has far outstripped expectations the company has offered to hand over the money 10 years early, which the Conservative leadership wants to re-invest into helping the "very rural" parts of Worcestershire benefit.

The current roll-out, which is costing the council, BT and central Government £28 million will see 94 per cent of properties reached, leaving some untouched.

The move to beef it up with the clawback cash was voted through 42-11 despite severe disagreements between both parties.

Labour Councillor Paul Denham said: "Taxpayers of this county have already contributed £15 million to a private, very rich company with an international reputation.

"There was an expectation that when we got this £3 million it'd be given back to the taxpayer but all we're doing, in effect, is giving it straight back to the company."

He said the take-up meant "eight of 10" Worcestershire taxpayers had not benefitted from the superfast scheme, telling the chamber: "We shouldn't be giving this back to BT to help swell their profits further."

Councillor Peter McDonald, Labour group leader, said: "What really annoys me, and many others in this room is not getting our priorities right.

"Since when has it been this chamber's priority to throw millions after millions at a private company?"

He said County Hall was helping BT "when we've got people at foodbanks", before saying the £3.2 million was for people who choose to "live out in the sticks with the badgers and rabbits".

It led to incredulity from the Conservative group, who called his comments "shameful" and insisted everyone should get an equal right to faster web speeds.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, who sits in the cabinet, accused him of showing "a lack of respect for people who don't live in urban areas".

"I will not vote for prejudice against people who live in rural areas, this is a good investment in a vital public service and we should support it," he said.

Fellow Conservative Councillor John Campion, who is also part of the leadership, called broadband "exactly the same" as vital utilities like running water and electricity.

"They should be ashamed of themselves if they think some people deserve it but others don't," he said.

Tory Kit Taylor urged Labour to think about students leaving college in Worcester who return home and need faster internet speeds to study - while fellow Conservative Rob Adams called for "a bit of protection for people who run businesses out in the sticks".

"I'm one of those living 'among the badgers and rabbits'," he said.

"Think of those people out there who want to take their businesses forward and vote for this today."

Take-up of the exiting programme has now exceeded 22 per cent, making it among the UK's most successful.

Work will now start to identify the extra parts of Worcestershire to benefit, with the current roll-out due to carry on until the autumn of 2017.

Some 42,552 Worcestershire premises so far can access the faster speeds, with the end target being 55,000 before the expansion cash kicks in.

The move comes just three weeks after Prime Minister David Cameron revealed how he intends to make faster broadband a legal right for all UK residents by 2020.

* See our story on this from last month HERE.