//
At 11:59 BST the index was up 69.32 points at 4,677.68, its highest level of 2009 so far.
Strong performances from banks contributed to the increase, with HSBC and Barclays both climbing after posting financial results for the first half of the year this morning.
Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland - which are both due to announce their results in the coming days - were up 1.1 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively.
Rising oil prices buoyed companies in the energy sector, with Tullow Oil, Royal Dutch Shell and BG Group all increasing, while news that copper prices have reached a ten month high prompted increases among mining firms such as Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Lonmin and BHP Billiton.
The price of oil climbed above $70 (£41.50) per barrel today, extending gains that have been seen over the past three weeks.
