David Cameron visited a bicycle manufacturer in Brentford after announcing record new employment figures this afternoon.

The Prime Minister visited the Brompton plant at the Kew Bridge Distribution Centre and highlighted the folding bike builder as an example of a thriving British based business.

“Brompton bikes is a great example of an old industry, but with a really new twist, a bicycle that you can manufacture here in the UK, a bicycle that you can carry around with you as well as ride,” he said.

“This is the best of British engineering, brains and creativity and I’m a great believer that Britain’s best days lie ahead.

“If we play to our strengths, if we invest in talent and technology there’s no reason why we can’t be a success story and this a good example.”

He added that the company made great technology and represented a move away from the financial industries he said were dominating the British economy.

According to annual employment figures published this week by the Government, 929,000 more people are in work than this time last year. The latest employment rate is 73.1 per cent, equalling the record high of 2005.

In many west London boroughs the number of people claiming benefits has fallen by a quarter, figures from the Jobcentre show.

“The overwhelming majority of these jobs are full time paid employment. Full time employment is growing faster than part time employment,” said Mr Cameron.

“And if you look at the jobs that are being created many of them are in well paid industries and they’re well paid jobs.”

It is only six months since Mr Cameron was in Brentford, visiting Brentford Lock, when he praised Brentford FC's run of form during the middle of their promotion-winning campaign.

Brentford & Isleworth MP Mary Macleod praised the newly opened Brompton bike hire scheme, which has docking stations outside Ealing Broadway and Turnham Green tube stations, as a viable alternative to the Barclays bike hire scheme

“I welcome anything that gets people riding bikes, I have a Brompton myself and I think they’re a real success story,” said the Conservative MP.

“It’s fantastic we helped to build a business here in Brentford. They’ve already doubled in size and we want to help them to grow further.”