Tool supplier Philip Banfield could hardly believe it when he received an order for 500 sledgehammers - far more than even the largest construction firm could need in a single purchase.

He was even more surprised when he realised the customer was a hi-tech computer company.

Brighton-based internet infrastructure company Herculeez wanted the hammers to help market its latest product, which has been hailed as a breakthrough in e-mail technology. The newly-established company has designed a way to stop e-mail messages being affected by hardware failures or system crashes.

Even in the unlikely event of someone physically smashing up an e-mail server, the messages will still get through, a point Herculeez is emphasizing by sending £3,500 worth of real 7lb sledgehammers to potential customers.

Herculeez chief executive Shez Hamill said: "The development of failsafe reliability for e-mails, and the e-commerce traffic that uses messaging, is of major significance. We wanted to make the point strongly, so a sledgehammer seemed suitably emphatic."

Mr Banfield, of Brighton's 140-year-old tool supply firm ML Banfield and Sons, said: "I though someone was having us on. We normally only sell two or three sledgehammers a year."

The Herculeez MX1 will be launched at a special event later this year.