Share prices extended their losses in late afternoon trade, dragged down by Wall Street, while Union Fenosa and Sogecable underperformed on debt and liquidity concerns, dealers said.

Leading shares plunged in opening deals, dragged lower by TMTs, heavyweight drugs and oils after precipitous falls on Wall Street last night, with only a handful of defensively positioned stocks registering a gain, dealers said.

London shares ended a six-session run of successive losses when it closed up today boosted by a recovery in telecom stocks, strength in oils - led by an update from Shell - and gains in the heavyweight banking sector after Royal Bank of Scotland issued an upbeat trading statement, dealers said.