FTSE 100 held back by AstraZeneca trial setback

The pharmaceutical firm sank 6.2% (Peter Byrne/PA) - (PA Archive)

Heavy falls in AstraZeneca saw London’s FTSE 100 underperform European peers, while investors continue to weigh up developments in the Middle East.

The FTSE 100 closed down 16.59 points, 0.2%, at 10,472.45. The FTSE 250 ended up 222.92 points, 1.0%, at 23,240.56, while the AIM All-Share rose 4.18 points, 0.6%, to 762.25.