The Bank of England’s first move on interest rates in a year sent leading shares into freefall today as the FTSE 100 Index slumped by almost 2%.

A UK company hit by racketeering charges in the United States said today it had met demands to stop taking bets from its US-facing website.

The FTSE 100 Index drifted lower today after heavy losses in New York and Japan overshadowed gains by Morrisons and Cadbury Schweppes.