Staff at the Hillmead-based Mobility and General Informa-tion Centre, known as MAGIC, are facing redundancy.

The fate of the 49-strong workforce, of which 20 per cent have disabilities, will only be known at the end of this month.

MAGIC is currently operated by the Marketing Machine on behalf of the Ford Motor Company and provides free and comprehensive information on motoring, mobility and vehicle adaptation for disabled motorists.

Last year, it survived the takeover of Cellular Operations in whose futuristic offices the operation was and currently still is based by Vodafone, which in turn pledged "to keep MAGIC within the Swindon area and to work with the relevant interested parties to develop a suitable solution".

However, the operation is about to be taken over by marketing communications agency Wunderman and moved to Byfleet in Surrey.

Here Wunderman also runs Ford's Business Centre, advising fleet and company motorists.

A spokesman for Ford said: "Ford invited a number of agencies to submit quotes to operate MAGIC, including Marketing Machine which currently runs MAGIC.

"Co-locating MAGIC at the Business Centre in Byfleet ensures both operations remain viable.

"The new agency contracted to run the service on behalf of Ford will take on responsibility for MAGIC's 49 employees."

More than 300,000 people have called MAGIC since its launch in 2000 indeed, disabled drivers accounted for more than eight per cent of Ford's 2003 registrations.

However, according to a staff member at MAGIC who asked to remain anonymous: "We feel totally duped.

"We all accept it is business, but it is the way it has been handled which has left a bad taste in people's mouths.

"We have been told that only about 25 staff are actually needed and of course, because some of the staff here are disabled, even if offered alternative employment at Wunder- mans would find it impossible to travel the distance."

A Ford spokesman said: "There will be no change in service to customers."