CABINET office minster Francis Maude visited Malvern Science Park – where he said the town was leading the way in tackling online criminals.

The UK is forecast to create 500,000 cyber security related jobs over the next decade, with Malvern expected to be at the forefront of it.

The science park, which is about to undergo a £4 million expansion, opened up a “dirty lab” yesterday where hackers will be hired to test website security.

It will be actively used by web services firms based at the park and their customers.

Mr Maude, who leads the Government on cyber security, said: “The internet is a wonderful thing and it has transformed all of our lives for the better, but with that comes a need for cyber security.

“The industry is going to grow and create jobs in future years and places such as this are at the forefront of that growth.

“A huge amount of innovative work is going on in this field, mainly by small and medium-sized enterprises, it is a knowledge industry which will only go one way.”

Mr Maude, who described Malvern as a “beautiful part of the country”, also backed the £4 million expansion at the park, which is being paid for via shares from Worcestershire County Council.

“The council obviously took a strategic decision to make the investment and it’s great to see the public sector playing its part in helping the private sector,” he said.

Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, who accompanied Mr Maude on his trip, said: “Jobs in cyber security and protection against hacking will top half a million within a decade – the threat from it is worldwide, it’s growing as a major source of crime.”

The park’s expansion, known as phase four, will create 150 jobs, with IT firm Goodrich moving into a new 25,000 sq ft building to create the first 50.

The park, which opened in 1997, is home to 30 technology and internet companies, and employs about 300 people, but is full to capacity.

Steve Borwell-Fox, of Borwell, one of the firms on the site, said: “We joined in 2007 in a tiny starter unit with just three staff and in no time moved up to 12 workers, and relocated to another unit. We’ve expanded a lot.”