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According to the Financial Times, the FTSE 100 saw the gains of the previous day reversed, resulting in a decline of 1.5 per cent.
Leading the reversal in the mining sector was Kazakhmys which fell by 4.7 per cent to 322p per share, while rival ENRC dropped 2.5 per cent to 306.5 per cent.
Materials business Cookson Group, which saw its value fall 26 per cent, commented: "In recent weeks the group has started to see clear evidence of the global financial turmoil impacting its end-markets, particularly global steel production."
Stock market falls were also seen in Asia where growing fears about the state of the world economy negated initial enthusiasm about a proposed Chinese economic stimulus package, reports the Associated Press.
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