Miners drag FTSE lower

Rio Tinto was the biggest loser with a fall of 3.48% to £35.25, as brokers cut its rating on the stock over concerns about the likelihood of a possible offer from BHP Billiton, while Lonmin dropped 3.44% to £37.90. Antofagasta slipped 2.94% to 536.5p on lower metal prices, closely followed by Vedanta Resources which dropped 2.29% to £13.67, while Kazakhmys fell 2.18% to £11.64, although losses were limited by Home Retail which climbed 1.8% to 494p. However, Centrica posted the biggest gains with a rise of 2.14% to 393.25p, closely followed by Hanson which added 1.98% to £10.57, while ...