BUSINESS owner Sally Marks has withdrawn plans to expand her caf in Malmesbury because of Dyson's decision to move vacuum cleaner manufacturing from the town to Malaysia.

Miss Marks runs the Summer Caf in the High Street. Earlier this year she submitted a planning application to expand the business.

Although her ideas were given the go-ahead by North Wiltshire District Council's development control committee, Miss Marks has withdrawn the plan because she fears that the redundancies at both Dyson and Lucent Technologies will not be good for business.

"We could do with more room but I am not certain about the future," she said. "There are a lot of jobs set to go in one town and I am sure this will have some effect on trade.

"Even if the people from the two businesses don't come here, their families, friends and visitors do. Now is not the right time to be expanding."

The Summer Caf opened more than four years ago and last year Miss Marks opened The Med restaurant in Silver Street, Malmesbury. She also owns Rocco in Cirencester.

She had been keen to expand her business interests in Malmesbury but feels trade in the town is too precarious.

Almost 600 people have lost their jobs at Dyson after the company announced it was moving its vacuum cleaner production to Malaysia.

Alan Woodward, chairman of Malmesbury Chamber of Commerce, said he felt traders were waiting until the redundancies came into force in September before making judgements.

"It will either be a great shock or we will not notice any difference at all," he said. "Business people were worried when we first found out about the job losses.

"It could certainly have a knock-on effect but I think we will notice more in two or three months time."