Natural gas firm BG Group ended the day as the strongest riser with share price soaring by 5.8 per cent  to 1,089.5p as rumours of a takeover abounded.

The firm had earlier in the day been linked with a number of potential suitors, according to reports, with Shell tipped as the most likely bidder.

Communications firm Cable & Wireless Worldwide saw share price rise by 4.5 per cent to 63.25p, having earlier won a contract to supply retailer Next, thus extending its coverage to all of the FTSE 100 retailers.

African Barrick Gold also rose, increasing by 1.9 per cent to 572.5p.

Mining group Kazakhmys was the heaviest faller on Friday, as share price dropped 3.8 per cent to 1,143p.

It had earlier fallen on repots that copper production would be flat until 2014, while a drop in base metals prices also impacted on the firm.

Hotelier InterContinental Hotels Group saw share price slip by 3.5 per cent to 1,006p. It had earlier this month seen share price hit by a profit warning, following the impact of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud on revenue.

Building supplies group Wolseley dropped 3.2 per cent to 1,281p.