OXFORD is lagging behind its rival Cambridge when it comes to 'innovation'.

The city had 78 patents for new inventions registered per 100,000 residents between January and November 2016, according to the MPA Group.

Cambridge had more than three times as many patents over the same period, with 315 registered per 100,000 residents.

Oxford still came fourth in the top 10 most innovative cities list produced by the company, beaten by both Coventry and Derby but ahead of Aberdeen, Slough, Aldershot and Bristol.

The research also looked into the public’s knowledge of homegrown inventions and asked which UK invention the nation is most proud of.

Over half (51 per cent) of respondents selected penicillin, discovered in Oxford, as the UK invention they are most proud of.

This was followed by the MRI Scanner, created in Aberdeen (43 per cent) with the telephone a close third (42 per cent).