A flurry of takeover speculation failed to keep the London market out of the red as investors continued to fret over higher interest rates today.

The London market followed the lead of Wall Street today as investors went in search of cheap looking stocks.

London shares sparked into life today on the back of positive updates from two market heavyweights and takeover speculation in the logistics sector.

Mining stocks led the London market into the red today as plunging copper prices weighed on investors.

The FTSE-100 Index is up 67.0 points, meaning that it has now gained more than 300 points since Thursday night's close.