The UK's museums need to radically alter their image or face an uncertain future, according to the government's museums supremo.

Matthew Evans, the chairman of Faber and Faber publishers, spoke as new figures showed a drop in the number of visits to museums and art galleries.

Mr Evans, who is the first chairman of the new Museums, Libraries and Archives Commission, said that unless heritage centres adopted bold new strategies they faced becoming the "Marks and Spencer of the cultural world".

He said he institutions should learn to embrace new technology and consider moving collections out into pubs, schools and shops.

Figures released by the Museums and Galleries Commission show that attendance at displays across the UK have fallen by 4% between 1997 and 1998.

The statistics, and Mr Evan's criticisms, come at a time when the government is trying to increase attendance levels by making museums more affordable and accessible.

It hopes by rebranding and making use of new technology museums will be able to reverse their fortunes by appealing to a new generation.

Mr Evans, addressing museum professionals at the annual Association of Independent Museums lecture at Sotheby's in London, said current displays were regressive, afraid of change and ignorant of technical advance.

"Those of us involved in managing cultural activities such as museums must fundamentally change what we do and the way we do it, if we are to remain relevant to politicians - and to the millions of ordinary people who not only directly or indirectly fund us but are our customers," he is reported as saying.

"If we don't, we risk turning into a cultural version of Marks and Spencer - symbols of once great institutions that have failed to move with the times and are suffering as a result."

However, his comments will bring little comfort to managers of some institutions, already experiencing difficulties, despite use of state-of-the-art technology.

Rescue package

Sheffield's National Centre for Popular Music recently needed a multi-million pound rescue package, despite only opening the doors to its �15m premises a few months earlier. The British Museum has also suffered a fall in visitors.

Shadow culture secretary Peter Ainsworth blamed government indecision for allowing displays to flounder.

He said: "It is deeply ironic that the government, which bleats endlessly about encouraging 'access' to museums and galleries, has so far presided over a sharp fall in visitor numbers

"The government's U-turn over universal free admission has caused confusion while creating problems for those museums which have no option but to charge."