Image copyright PA

(Close): A further slide in mining shares weighed on the UK's benchmark share index.

At close, the FTSE 100 was 39.28 points lower at 6,781.51. Anglo American shares fell 4.6% while BHP Billiton dropped 4.9%.

Mining shares have been hit as prices of commodities have come under pressure from a recent strengthening in the value of the US dollar.

Berkeley shares rose 3% after news of a pick-up in house prices.

The housebuilding sector was buoyed by news from Nationwide that the annual pace of house price rises accelerated to 5.6% in August from 5.2% in July.

Berkeley's shares were up despite the company facing the prospect of being demoted from the FTSE 100 index. Among other housebuilders, Bovis Homes rose 1.5% while Bellway was 0.5% higher.

Shares in supermarket group Morrisons fell 0.15% after Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the company to "sell".

On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.33% against the dollar to $1.3125 and was 0.33% higher against the euro at €1.1777.