Footsie holds on after rough night in Asia

The FTSE 100 Index held firm today despite another tumultuous session for markets in Asia.

The merger agreement between Lloyds TSB and HBOS steadied nerves in London after the Footsie lost 9% over the first three days of the week. The FTSE 100 Index was 54.7 points higher at 4967.1, helped by stronger mining, banking and oil stocks.