HI-TECH medical dressing manufacturers First Water, have brought Christmas cheer to 20 workers threatened with redundancy by the multi-national company Maersk Medical at Ramsbury.

The workers at the Hilldrop Lane medical aids company have been offered jobs at one of their old bosses' other companies, First Water, and there is a suggestion the number of new jobs could eventually double.

First Water owns the Ramsbury site and is planning to invest £3m in developing a new factory making dressings.

It will be re-fitting the works with specialist rooms where sterile wound dressings will be made.

These will form a major part of the company's product range which also includes cosmetic patches.

All fifty workers at Maersk Medical were told last month that the company, which makes adhesive pads for electro-cardiograph tests and other medical purposes, was switching production to Stonehouse in Gloucestershire.

The Danish company offered limited secondment for some of the workers and long-term details have not been finalised. Now 20 workers, who would have been out of work next week, have been invited to work for First Water, a company run by their former managing director Cliff Andrews together with his son, Phil and son-in-law Justin Barnes.

Initially, said Mr Andrews, First Water will employ 20 workers in manufacturing and administration at Ramsbury.

"Perhaps this will not be quite as big as the former manufacturing facility because there will be a lot more automation, but it is anticipated this number will grow significantly in the next few years," he said this week.

He also told the Gazette that one of the new machines on order to make the polymer coated wound dressings will cost well over half a million pounds.

Mr Andrews who was formerly in pharmaceutical marketing, started his own company 20 years ago from his former home in Great Bedwyn, developing and manufacturing hydrogel skin products which can be used as dressings or patches.

He eventually moved to Ramsbury and built the offices and manufacturing centre there eight years ago.

First Water also maintains a research facility at the Warwick University Science Park and has a high volume manufacturing plant in Warwick employing 36 people.

The company has also started to expand into the licensing of its technology which allows other companies to make its products.

The news was welcomed by parish council chairman Sheila Glass. She said: "I had a feeling that something like this was in the offing.

"It is excellent news for the area and for the former employees who will have new jobs with First Water.

"Hopefully this company will expand in Ramsbury and there will be more jobs eventually."

Melvyn Lillywhite, chairman of the new Marlborough Area Development Committee said: "It is great to hear of new jobs being provided even if it is not as many as are being lost."