YORKSHIRE-based set-top box manufacturer Pace saw its shares soar in value yesterday following an upbeat trading statement.

Pace, based at Saltaire, near Bradford, said demand for its products had increased across many of the group’s global markets.

It reported further orders from new and existing customers and said the market for “high-end” products was growing rapidly, even in advanced markets.

Pace plans to exploit the growing market for high-definition TV – stressing that in Western Europe, fewer than 2% of television households are so far subscribing to an HD TV service.