JJB Sports was the biggest loser in the FTSE 250, sliding nearly 8 per cent or 19½p to 233¼p, on rumours that Citigroup was selling 4.5 million shares on behalf of an unknown investor. The sale price was said to be 242p, but the sports retailer was also hit by a downgrade from UBS in response to Tuesday’s lacklustre figures.

Durex condom and Scholl footwear group SSL International shed 28½p to 457p on fears that its revenues would be hit by the weakening dollar.

UK Coal was 24½p lower at 533½p as investors took profits after a trading statement that was in line with expectations, even though Seymour Pierce raised its price target.

WS Atkinsgained 68p to £11.13 after it reiterated that it would not be exposed to the administration of Metronet, the Tube consortium in which it owns a 20 per cent stake. It insisted that it has already written off all the value of the stake on its books and taken a charge for its shares of losses.

Oil explorer Black Rock shot up 16½p to 41½p after it announced that it had struck oil in Colombia.

Dwyka Resources, the diamond explorer, shone still brighter, rising another 4p to 61¾p. The company, which this column reported on Tuesday was set to announce good news, said that it had acquired 50 per cent of Swazi Gold Ventures.

Maxjet, the business class-only airline, gained 2½p to 130p after it announced that it had won US approval to operate routes across the Atlantic to Stansted.

Mobile Doctors Group fell 3p to 58½p on its first day of trading. It reversed into listed vehicle Petsome whose shares had been suspended and whose former investors baled out.

NETeller, the online gamer whose shares are suspended at 176p pending an investigation by US authorities, said it had settled with prosecutors there and agreed to forfeit $136 million (£66 million) in return for not being prosecuted for conspiracy.

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