The blue-chip index fell 2.1pc to close at 6696.79 on Thursday. The FTSE 100 ended Wednesday at just 90 points shy of the record close of 6930.2 it reached during the 1999 dotcom boom.

The group's total pre-tax loss fell to �21.5m in the year to March 30, from �102.9m a year ago when it was hit by a �55m impairment charge related to its acquisition of the Early Learning Centre.

The boss of Flybe has hit out at "punitive" charges and taxes that have pushed the troubled regional airline to end flights in and out of London from next March.

The updated figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the UK's dominant services sector, which accounts for three quarters of national output, drove the recovery - growing 0.6pc over the three months.

Pre-tax profits were �97m in the six months to the end of March, compared with �37m last year. Total turnover was flat year-on-year at �866m.

The new regulator said the unit was unable to show it was giving clients the right advice. "Although no detriment to customers has been identified to date, the failings exposed customers to the risk that they would be given incorrect advice and inappropriate ...

ONSHORE wind, the cheapest form of renewable energy, attracts many enthusiasts. Those who live close to planned wind farms are rarely among them.

The newspaper will become part of a new �Professional� unit in a yet-to-be-decided structure that could mean FT Group ceases to exist.

Tesco revealed that it paid �3m to two outgoing directors as executives lost out on their bonuses after the worst slump in profits in the company's history.

Shares in Halfords fell as much as 19 per cent after the bike retailer and repair group cut its dividend by a third and launched a �100m turnround plan to improve sales.