Broadband speeds in rural areas are up to three times slower than those in neighbouring cities, analysis has found.

Statistics published by the county councils network show that more than two-thirds of England's counties are below the national average download speed of 45mbit/s.

In some places rural counties lag significantly behind neighbouring urban areas.

For example, in north Yorkshire residents have an average download speed of 30.2mbit/s, compared to York’s average speed of 102mbit/s.

The rural county of Ryedale, which includes part of the North York Moors, has average speeds of just 25.8mbit/s, less than a fifth of those experienced in the nearby city.

Rural Dorset has average speeds of 26.9mbit/s, less than half those enjoyed in neighbouring Bournemouth, of 61.2mbit/s.

The slowest broadband in Britain is in west Devon, the report adds, at just 21.8mbit/s.

Ofcom data shows that 91 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK now have access to superfast broadband, defined as 30mbits/s.

The network said that all but four of the 79 areas council areas which have speeds below this level are based in non-urban counties.

Cllr Philip Atkins, vice-chairman of the county councils network and leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: "The government’s commitment to provide superfast broadband to as many areas in England as possible has resulted in some significant steps forward in rural connectivity in the last few years.