Can you describe the smell?
I know a cure, get a pad filer and wash it with a scented detergent, like shampoo which is stronger than fairy liquid. What I did with my smelly DC25 was I washed both filters with scented shower gel (lynx) and then sprayed with lynx deodorant which was the same smell, smelled lovely when I was vacuuming!
Also make sure there's no moisture that had been vacuumed up, had a Dc07 animal with a smelly hose and it was nasty, needed replacing!