Britain's leading shares index closes up 0.68% on Wednesday

The FTSE 100, the UK's leading shares index, closed up 0.68 per cent on Wednesday at 38.27 points to 5,640.57.

Leading the gainers after a strong day was ICAP, which added 4.46 per cent by the time the markets closed.

British Airways (BA), which was today in talks with the Unite union over threatened cabin crew strikes, also gained, adding 3.67 per cent.

Leading the fallers was British American Tobacco, which lost 3.10 per cent, after it traded without the right to the latest dividend.

Also dragging on the FTSE was Shroders and TUI Travel, who lost 2.68 and 1.91 per cent respectively as the markets closed on Wednesday.