"The entrepreneurs of Indian origin have a higher success rate to secure finance than even the majority white community," said Stuart Fraser, a researcher at the Warwick Business School.

The research shows that 36 per cent of businesses run by black Africans had been refused credit compared with black Caribbean at 29 per cent, Bangladeshi 20.6 per cent, Pakistani 12.2 per cent, Indian 7.3 per cent, and white-owned businesses at 8.2 per cent.

Entrepreneurs of non-white origin were four times more likely to be refused finance than their white counterparts, but poor credit records were to blame rather than discrimination, the research said.

"Many were denied loans because they exceeded overdraft limits or were guilty of 'financial delinquency' by missing repayment deadlines," Fraser said. Fraser blamed a lack of financial skills and advice along with poor performance and ethnic and cultural differences for the difficulties.

Fraser said the short business life of many companies owned by ethnic minorities was a "clear reason" for the higher incidence of missed loan repayment and overdraft headaches.

The average age of black African companies was six years compared with black Caribbean 6.9 years, Bangladeshi 6.5, Pakistani 8.3, Indian 14.2, and white 18.7.

Calling for more help for companies owned by ethnic minorities, Fraser said that an improvement in the flow of information about the reasons for rejecting loan applications "would help tackle the misperceptions of discrimination".