Footsie falls as blue-chip firms record losses

The FTSE 100 Index is down 36.9 points at 5152.8 after an hour's trading, having dipped by 50 points early on as a host of blue-chips slipped into the red.

Shares in British Airways fell by 3% or 6½p at 206p after it posted widening losses and said it still faced a number of considerable challenges.