Britain's FTSE pares losses after UK Q4 GDP data

LONDON: Britain's FTSE 100 pared losses after the UK's economy contracted less-than-expected in the final three months of 2010.

London's blue chip index was down 1.47 points at 5,903.02 by 0840 GMT.

The Office for National Statistics revised fourth-quarter GDP growth upwards to -0.5 percent on the quarter from its most recent previous estimate of -0.6 percent, though the new figure is still the biggest decline since the second quarter of 2009.

The annual rate of growth was unrevised at 1.5 percent. Economists had expected both rates to remain unrevised at -0.6 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.