HIGH-tech firms could move abroad if top Oxfordshire facilities are not protected from national spending cuts, a UK science boss has warned.

Professor Andrew Harrison, chief executive of the Diamond Light Source particle accelerator, said more investment was needed at the Harwell Science Campus to make sure it stayed at the forefront of research.

His comments came ahead of a Government spending review – due to be published next month – in which departments have been asked to find cuts of up to 40 per cent.

Ministers have so far refused to guarantee the science budget will stay ringfenced.

But speaking to the Oxford Mail, Prof Harrison said: “If the Government is consistent in its economic plan, then it must protect science funding.

“There are discussions going on about who should fund research in this country, but the point of view of many companies is that they already put a lot of money into the economy.

“They see Diamond as a central piece of infrastructure and part of the deal of them being located in the UK.

“That is why the Government needs to keep investing in it and supporting people here, because otherwise there will be more effective places for companies to set up shop.”

Prof Harrison added that advances in technology at Diamond meant it was seeing rapid expansion in research for the aerospace and automotive industries.

The particle accelerator speeds up electrons to produce extremely bright light, which is then used by scientists to study objects at atomic level.

An inquiry into science funding is being led by Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood, who became the chairman of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in June.

She said: “The Government is clear productivity is its priority and all the evidence shows that productivity is driven by innovation. Harwell demonstrates this clearly.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said: “Science is a priority area for growth and productivity and we have committed to a real-terms investment of £6.9bn in science capital up to 2021.”