FTSE comes to end of disastrous year

The FTSE 100 Index’s worst ever year will be confirmed later today when the market closes after a disastrous 12 months for UK blue-chips.

London’s top flight has plunged by 32% so far in 2008 and even the post-Christmas cheer of the past few sessions is not set to prevent it from seeing the biggest annual fall since it was created 24 years ago.