Temporary power supplier Aggreko was the strongest riser in early morning trading rising by 4.3 per cent to 1,498p.

The firm was one of the beneficiaries of increased M&A speculation along with software provider Autonomy Corporation, which saw share price rise by 3.2 per cent to 1,771p.

Silver miner Fresnillo saw share price rise by 2.7 per cent to 1,127p.

Mining group Vedanta Resources was the biggest faller, sliding by 1.7 per cent to 1,977p, while insurer Aviva and hospitality group Whitbread both dropped 1 per cent to 391.2p and 1,500p respectively.