An estimated 42 jobs are to be lost at Dyson because they claim their products are so reliable.

The proposed cuts would be from the Malmesbury-based firm's helpline workforce. A spokesman said rising standards and a new online self-help service had meant the helpline was no longer in such demand.

She said: "The design of Dyson machines is becoming ever more durable and intuitive too. Our most popular machine, DC14, for example, has a reliability rating of 98 per cent."

"Such factors mean we simply have a lower volume of calls to our customer care line and as a consequence, we're looking to resize the customer care team to meet the falling demand."