THE London market closed in the red yesterday after disappointing jobs data in the US reignited fears over the strength of the global economic recovery.

The FTSE 100 index, already weighed down by disappointing manufacturing figures in the UK, closed 61.4 points down at 5928.6 as the US data pushed it lower.

Fallers included Vodafone, which dropped 7.4p to 161.6p, while Marks & Spencer was down 12.5p to 386.4p, a decline of three per cent.

On a brighter note, sentiment towards fashion label Burberry remained strong in the wake of its recent full-year results, which showed a 39 per cent increase in underlying pretax profits to £298m.

Shares were 7p higher at 1326p.

Miners were lifted by the impact of a weaker dollar on commodity prices.

Those on the way up included Rio Tinto, which lifted 10p to 4255p, while Fresnillo added 20p to 1478p.

In corporate news, Bathstore owner Wolseley and floor coverings firm Topps Tiles were both under pressure amid tough trading conditions in the UK.

Updates from the pair highlighted the ongoing squeeze on spending levels among consumers, leading to disappointing sales figures in both cases.

Wolseley shares were nearly two per cent lower or 37p cheaper at 2021p, after UK profits fell by ten per cent to £28m in the three months to April 30. However, this was offset by stronger-than-expected trading in the US.

Topps Tiles was six per cent lower in the FTSE 250 Index, declining 3.8p to 63.8p, after it said like-forlike sales decreased 2.1 per cent in the past seven weeks, compared with an increase of 1.8 per cent over the six months to April 2.