Concerns that the world’s powerhouse economies of China and the US are struggling and that Europe’s debt crisis is not yet over have driven most global stocks down today.

Rising borrowing rates for many of the eurozone’s more indebted countries sent investors scurrying out of stock markets today, on a day that Italy’s prime minister-designate was looking to get the support of the country’s political parties for a technocratic government.

Investors abandoned the markets today after the Greek Prime Minister fuelled uncertainty by announcing shock plans to hold a referendum on the eurozone rescue plan.

Oil and metal prices remained volatile today after a cocktail of gloomy economic data from across the world triggered a massive sell-off.

Former footballer Colin Hendry was today declared bankrupt.