Around the World's Markets: London

LEADING LONDON shares closed down for the second day in a row, after watching Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average drop in early trading.

Despite a brief rise in the first hour of dealing, the FTSE 100 index languished in negative territory for most of the day and closed down 33.1 points at 6,660.9, following a 48 point drop yesterday. Worries of an interest-rate hike later this week continued to niggle, as the Monetary Policy Committee's decision tomorrow draws closer.