FTSE 100 dips again as China virus hits risk appetite

London's main index dipped for a fourth straight session on Thursday, with major miners and oil stocks taking a hit, as worries over the spread of a new flu-like virus from China grew.

China put Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak, on lockdown as health authorities around the world scramble to prevent a global pandemic. The new coronavirus has so far killed 17 and infected nearly 600 people. The FTSE 100, which has shed more than 1% this week, gave up another 0.2%. An index of miners hit its lowest in more than a week, while Shell and BP were among the biggest drags.

The FTSE 250 edged 0.1% lower by 0807 GMT. However, AIM-listed online fashion retailer ASOS provided some cheer as it advanced almost 9% after beating analysts' expectations for sales growth in the Christmas trading period.