Beleaguered investors took a fresh pounding yesterday as £44 billion was wiped off the value of blue-chip shares.
Weak trading was compounded by a dismal start on Wall Street.
Weaker-than-expected economic data also hit home and the Dow Jones Industrial Average and technology-laden Nasdaq sunk heavily into the red.
That piled pressure on the FTSE 100 Index and at one point it tumbled past the 3700 level as it lost 237 points. In the last minutes of trading, it edged back up but still closed 185.40 points adrift at 3721.80.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article