A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner houses a hollow brush bar mounted for rotation about an axis. This brush bar is driven by a motor housed inside the hollow brush bar, the motor forming part of a drive assembly supported at one end of the cleaner head. The brush bar is arranged for removal from the cleaner head by sliding the brush bar along the axis and out through an opening at the opposite end of the cleaner head and the brush bar is rotatably supported in clearance around the drive assembly by a first bearing, which bearing engages the brush bar in a corresponding axial-sliding fit to allow said sliding removal of the brush bar.