Community leaders have urged people in Didcot to get behind a £100,000 initiative to shake off the town's negative image.

South Oxfordshire District Council has spent Government money rebranding the town by cashing in on the area's cutting-edge technology in a bid to transform its reputation.

It wanted to create a new vision for Didcot using a logo and slogan 'Brilliant Didcot' to sum up the top-notch opportunities for employment, recreation, shopping and culture, and draw people to the area.

John Cotton, cabinet member for planning at the council, said: "This is a really exciting opportunity for us to create a strong brand for Didcot, which symbolises the vibrant, exciting place that Didcot will be in the future.

"We have to change Didcot from where it is to where it needs to be. It is about changing the perception. But we have to get the perception right, and this is what this project is all about."

Project manager Craig Miller said: "We want people to support the brand to help make it a success.

"The brand will be the glue to everything that is happening in Didcot - its principles will reflect everything that is happening. It is about creating a remarkable place to live, an inspiring place to work and a lively place to play."

Branding experts came up with a series of brightly coloured spheres containing a scientific motif.