Big retail names line Cornmarket Street in Oxford Oxford is in danger of turning into a bland "clone town" dominated by chain stores, a new report says.

It is listed among 13 British town centres which are teetering on the brink of losing their distinct local character, in a report by the New Economics Foundation.

Wallingford -- the only other Oxfordshire town featured -- is listed among the top third of high streets, with relatively high numbers of independent shops.

The study says 39.9 per cent of its shops are locally owned, compared with Oxford's 28.9 per cent.

Two fifths (41 per cent) of urban centres are described as clone towns, where independent shops are in short supply.

Just more than a quarter (26 per cent) of high streets surveyed are classed as "border towns", which are in danger of losing their distinctiveness.

Exeter was named the country's worst "clone town" of the 103 surveyed nationally, according to the report. The Devon cathedral city had one independent shop in its High Street.

Hebden Bridge, in West Yorkshire, was named the community with the most varied and locally-distinct shopping centre.

But Oxford city centre manager Bill McCardle said that 40 per cent of city retailers were non-chain shops, once you took into account areas such as Gloucester Green, Broad Street, the High Street and the Covered Market.

He said: "I think the survey is rubbish. Oxford has got a very good mix of small and independent retailers. What we need to improve on is telling people about them. As great as they are, there is more to Oxford than Cornmarket and Queen Street." Dee Cripps, of Wallingford Business Partnership, said: "Wallingford is very proud of its independent shops and traders.

"We're pleased not to be a 'clone town', but every town centre is under threat when rents get so high that only the multiples can afford them.

"Landlords have their part to play in keeping high streets interesting by not pricing the independents out of business.

"Independents are the lifeblood of any small town -- and long may they continue."

Elaine Hornsby, of First Edition shoe shop in Wallingford, said: "We need independent traders -- we must cherish those we have and encourage others to come into our town.

"We do not want a string of multiples -- small independent shops are our lifeblood, attracting people in for what they cannot find elsewhere.

"One idea would be for council-run small units which might have to be subsidised for a while to help the independents find their feet."

The dwindling number of independent shops and a lack of variety on the high street is eroding the identity of local communities, according to NEF policy director Andrew Simms.

He said: "Clone stores have a triple whammy on communities: they bleed the local economy of money, destroy the social glue provided by real local shops that holds communities together, and steal the identity of our towns and cities."

Each high street was allocated points according to the diversity of shops and services on offer.

Points were also allocated to reflect whether the stores were independently owned or part of a chain.

The high streets were then ranked according to their final scores, with "clone towns" receiving the lowest and "home towns" the highest.