A textile firm today placed a £5,000 reward on the heads of saboteurs who almost succeeded in closing it down.

The head of Denholme-based Pennine Fibre Industries said its 90-strong workforce came close to the axe after the calculated attack which saw cables cut, control boxes wrecked and security video footage removed.

The intruders struck after it closed for the Christmas break last Sunday, spending hours targeting vital pieces of machinery.

Managing director Brian Scott said: "Nothing at all was stolen even though they walked straight past rooms full of computers."

He said the culprits appeared to have a knowledge of the organisation and suggested it might be the work of a disgruntled former employee.

But Mr Scott explained that the business - formerly owned by a multinational giant - had been bought six months ago and added: "Since then, we have only had one person leave and that was a lady that retired recently and quite clearly it wasn't her."

Mr Scott, who took the helm after July's shake-up, said: "The intruders used the keys or tools needed to open 32 panels, having already isolated the power supply to them." Once inside, they ripped out the computer "brain" of each machine, smashed the circuit boards and cut through wires, causing £100,000 damage.

He added: "They then put everything back so that it would not be noticed until we opened again on January 2. Fortunately an observant engineer noticed the following day, allowing us to act."

The firm's engineers worked alongside contractors throughout Christmas to get things running again. Even so, it lost a week's production and is only working at a quarter of its full capacity.

"Had the damage not have been seen until January 2, then we would have lost three weeks' production," said Mr Scott.

"The company is only six months old and this could have closed us. It would have been extremely touch and go."

A police spokesman confirmed they were investigating the incident and urged anyone with information to contact Keighley Police on (01535) 617059 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.