But overall, a last minute jump pushed the FTSE 100 past its 2007 peak of 6798, following comments from US Federal Reserve member James Bullard that central bank bond buying should continue.

The FTSE 100, which has a much greater exposure to the world economy than it does to the British economy, has been boosted by central bank interest rate cuts and quantitative easing around the world.

Should the FTSE 100 finish above 6,798.1 - its close on September 4, 2000 - then it would be at its best level since December 30, 1999, when it reached an all-time high.

Overall the FTSE 100 finished 32.57 points higher at 6755.63, pushing through the peak of 6732 seen in 2007 and reaching its highest level since September 2000, just as the dotcom bubble was about to burst.

The FTSE 100 closed at its highest level for almost 13 years yesterday as shares continued their winning streak. The main London stock market index closed above the pre-financial crisis high of 6,732.4 hit in June 2007 at 6,755.6.

A day after the FTSE 100 reached its best level since September 2000, London's benchmark index surged a further 48.24 points to 6,803.87, taking the main board to another significant milestone.

By Vanessa Houlder. The potential costs of global tax disputes reported by FTSE 100 companies fell by more than a third to �2.3bn from �3.6bn last year, according to research that suggested multinationals' appetite for conflict with tax authorities has ...

Champions Shares PRO analyst Mark Rogers reflects on the twelve-year high for the FTSE 100. The FTSE 100 has finally beaten its pre-crisis 2007 high, closing yesterday at 6,755 to record its highest level since September 2000.

THE FTSE 100 has surged to a 12 year high and its best level since the height of the dotcom boom this evening. By: Dion Dassanayake.

Among the shares driving the FTSE 100 up today was easyJet, as investors took encouragement from the performance of Ryanair in the face of tough economic conditions.