A position as a paintball bullet tester has attracted a whopping 10,000 applicants from across the UK and even further afield, with hopefuls from the US, Canada and India also putting their hat into the ring.

The job, which was advertised by UKPaintball as having a salary of £40,000 a year pro rata, has shocked the firm with its popularity.

UKPaintball owner, Justin Toohig, said: “This incredible response is the last thing we expected when we posted the advert. We couldn’t have predicted that so many people in the UK and beyond would want to get shot for a living.”

The part-time bullet tester advert that attracted all the interest called for those who were “looking for a new challenge with… awesome colleagues?” and said that people with “relatively high pain thresholds” should look into the opportunity.

“The job will essentially involve being shot at with every new batch of paint bullets to ensure that all health and safety checks are in place before we can use them on the general public and paying customers.

“Whilst the checks will of course be carried out by trained professionals with a wealth of experience, the role may pose a small risk of pain, discomfort and some bruising.”