FTSE up more than 50 points

Traders shrugged off sovereign debt woes and sustained violence in Libya as reassuring results from Next and B&Q owner Kingfisher boosted the retail sector.

The wider FTSE 100 Index was up 52 points at 5848.7, as Kingfisher and Next shot to the top of the risers' board, moving up 9% and 6% respectively.