A second round of job cuts is being made at a hi-tech engineering firm.

Bosses at Macdermid Engineering in Wantage are looking for a further 22 volunteers to enable the factory to return to a five-day working week for the remaining staff.

They will come on top of the 40 workers who were axed in January.

Managing director Peter Levinsohn <<ok>> said: “The recovery will take loger to arrive than many of us had hoped.

“The automotive and electronics areas are struggling and we are hoping to do this through volunteers and then return to a five-day week rather than four days at the moment which has been very difficult for staff.”

Following the redundancies, 235 workers will remain at the company which specialises in a pioneering coating technology.

Mr Levinsohn said a recovery was beginning but was very gradual.

He added: “There is an indication it will happen next year, but that is a long time away.”