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According to Reuters, the benchmark index was down 0.2 per cent at 12:02 GMT, taking it to 5,333.84 points.
This was despite gains in the financial sector, which were led by the 6.7 per cent increase in Royal Bank of Scotland shares that came after the bank posted its annual results for 2009.
Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, Standard Chartered and HSBC were also higher, but falls among miners limited any gains.
Drops of as much as 2.7 per cent were seen in Xstrata, Rio Tinto and Randgold Resources shares after metal prices dipped.
Nick Serff of City Index noted that gold and euro prices have also suffered during trading today, as investors have been "fleeing to the safe haven of dollars and bonds".
Posted by Clive Arneil
