Around the World's Markets: London

LONDON SHARES yesterday closed sharply higher, buoyed by a record- breaking performance on Wall Street after a positive set of US unemployment figures.

The receding prospect of a US rate hike boosted sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic and at the end of London trading the Dow was sporting a triple-digit rise. The US rally was behind a 104.1-point surge to 6205.5 in the FTSE 100. The FTSE 250 and small cap indices followed in the wake of the blue-chip index.

Market report, page 21