Macclesfield's business community has roundly rejected the clone town claims of a new economic survey.

According to think tank study Re-imagining the High Street, Macclesfield is the fourth most cloned town in Britain.

The New Economic Foundations (NEF) collated data was gathered by volunteers who categorised between 40 and 60 high street shops in 117 UK towns.

But traders, business leaders and councillors have hit out in defence of the town’s individuality, claiming the findings are skewed by only looking at Mill Street.

Traders and councillors insist the town offers an individual shopping experience.

Mandy Fazelynia, founder of the Love Local Life loyalty card scheme which now has nearly 3,000 members, asked: "What about Chestergate?

"They only surveyed one street and about 50 shops. Macclesfield isn’t a clone town but we need to fight hard to ensure it doesn’t tip the balance and become one."

Mandy, who set up Love Local Life 18 months ago, said: "Spending £1 at an independent puts 80p back in the local economy but only 18p at a multiple store.

"People need to put their money where their mouth is and use independents or lose them."

Councillor Jamie Macrae said the town had a ‘wealth’ of independent retailers tucked away on side streets and that the survey did not offer a true picture.

"Macclesfield’s is a very robust economy. Compared with other towns we are doing remarkably well."

John Lamond, chief executive of Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce, said: "We are seeing a lot of people looking to start businesses. Our business adviser is booked a month ahead. It is a sign that it is still a very entrepreneurial area." The NEF study says clone towns are particularly ‘vulnerable to becoming ghost towns’ during a recession. But Coun Bill Livesley, who runs The Gatehouse antiques shop on Chester Road, added: "There is a section of Mill Street that has 40 per cent cloned shops but we have a power base of small independents.

"One or two shops closed recently and they were quickly reopened as independents. We aren’t saying we don’t want multiples. We need a mix."