White British people are less likely to “distrust” ethnic minorities if they have day-to-day contact with them, an Oxford University study has found.

Researchers asked people from different ethnic groups about their outlook on race and issues like crime and employment.

Dr Katharina Schmid, of the Department of Experimental Psychology, said: “The best way to reinforce trust is to encourage different groups to mix.

“This interaction could be at any level – anything from meeting up socially or simply a trip to the corner shop.”