Amazon’s takeover of vacuum cleaner maker iRobot is set to be blocked by the European Union’s competition watchdog,

It’s a blow to the tech giant, which was previously given the all-clear for the purchase by the UK government’s competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that its place in the UK market was “modest” and that it already faced several significant rivals.

Amazon declined to comment.

The online giant moved to buy iRobot, maker of the Roomba cleaner, in August 2022 in a takeover deal set to cost $1.7bn (£1.4bn).