All analogue services were temporarily turned off – to facilitate engineering work at the Selkirk transmitter and 11 relay stations – and restored by 10am, with the exception of BBC 2, the first channel to cease transmitting in analogue.

Next Thursday, the remaining analogue channels (BBC One, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Five) will be switched off as the Borders becomes the first region in the UK to go fully digital.

The first stages were labelled a success by Digital UK, the company charged with managing the switchover. John Askew, Borders regional manager for Digital UK, told us: "This is a bit of a milestone. It's the first time a main transmitter has switched fully and it's the start of a major project that will see another 70 regions across the UK change to digital by 2012.

"It's all gone very well in Selkirk. We've had a small number of queries, from people who maybe have the equipment but aren't sure how to set it up, but not many and no serious problems."

However, while the switchover itself went without a hitch, this week, local MP Michael Moore expressed concern over the low number of viewers opting for support from the government-backed Help Scheme, which offers assistance for over-75s and those receiving certain disability benefits.

Figures published by Digital UK this week revealed just 2,508 of the 16,618 Borderers eligible for help through the official Digital Switchover Help Scheme have taken it up.

Mr Moore said: "I have been assured that the Help Scheme has sent out mailings to everyone in the Borders who is eligible for assistance under the scheme. However, it is concerning that there remains a low level of take-up of this help. The reasons for this need to be explored as a matter of urgency."

Mr Moore also received a number of complaints from constituents regarding delays in sending out Help Scheme material and some problems with service provision.

He added: "Help Scheme officials should consider using other means of reaching the one third of eligible people who have still not responded, either by telephone or door-to-door visits, to ensure that the most vulnerable people are not left out during this switchover process."

In another case, Colin McGrath, whose 100-year-old mother-in-law applied for support from the free Help Scheme, accused the campaign of being misleading after she was told she would have to pay £40 to be upgraded to digital TV.

Mr McGrath explained: "She was given the impression that it was a free help scheme and, being over 75, that she would be entitled to free equipment, but she was told it would cost £40.

"The publicity was misleading. We thought it was a free help scheme for the elderly, but it's only free if you're on benefits.