Blue-chips run out of steam in lacklustre session

MINING groups dug the FTSE 100 Index out of a hole yesterday as London's blue-chips ran out of steam in a largely subdued end to the week.

Investors snapped up the likes of Xstrata, BHP Billiton and Anglo American as speculative buys had given recent signs of a recovering US economy.

The gains helped compensate for weaker telecoms stocks and picked the Footsie off the floor after it lost 55 points trading.