London's leading shares index dropped to almost 2.5 percent on Tuesday as a result of poor performance of banking and commodity shares.

The benchmark FTSE 100 index ended the day's trading down 100.62 points, or 2.43 percent, at 4034.13.

Construction company Hammerson led the drop by shedding 9.3 percent while banking shares such as Standard Chartered and Lloyds Banking Group also fell.

This has been the fourth day in a row when London market was down.

(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2009)