chip property firm Land Securities helped to offset some of the weakness as its shares put on more than 5 percent. "It's a confident statement. It's a leading property company and what they say tends to be a fair reflection of the market," said a dealer. The solid performance helped lift others in the sector, with British Land up 2.8 percent and Hammerson adding 1.3 percent. Among mid-cap shares, Derwent Valley and Slough Estates both rose. Elsewhere on the upside, hedge-fund manager Man Group notched up a 1.2 percent gain after it said its key AHL fund added 2 percent in value in the past week. --SP 1503 Local Time 1203 GMT
