It was once thought that a tap on the shoulder from an Oxbridge don was the only way to get a job with the secret services.

But in recent years, spy chiefs have taken a more innovative approach to recruitment, such as attempting to attract middle aged women by advertising on the online forum Mumsnet and using hidden graffiti in Shoreditch, east London to impress tech-savvy youngsters.

Now the director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has revealed that the organisation is targeting dyslexics to hire as analysts, as he said the surveillance agency prioritises potential over exam results.

While people with dyslexia may struggle with reading, writing and spelling, they are often are equipped with exactly the right skills and way of thinking that the Cheltenham-based surveillance agency is looking for, Jeremy Fleming said.

Speaking at a symposium this week at the Science Museum in London he said that dyslexics are an important part of the "mix of minds" employed by GCHQ.

"We are doing everything we can to attract the right people - including dyslexics - to make sure they see themselves through the recruitment process, to make sure when they get to us they can fulfil their potential," Mr Fleming said.

"I have everyone from the country’s best mathematicians, some of the most talented engineers and hopefully some of the best analysts.

"But I also have people who are keeping the show on the road, who are making the machines work, who are making sure we are giving our best every day and I can see dyslexics in every bit of the business.