Cautious start after fraught week for Footsie

Trading on the London Stock Exchange has got off to a cautious start after the Footsie index of 100 leading stocks closed at a 27-month low last Friday.

The Footsie has made a 16.8 point gain in the first hour of trading, although this represents a slip from an earlier 46 point gain. At 9am, the index stood at 5579.8.