* FTSE 100 down 0.4 pct, mining shares top losers
* Shire volatile after declined drug approval
* Barclays rises on media report (Updates with closing prices)
By Kit Rees
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index slippedon Monday as news of China's slowing economy sapped miningstocks and drugmaker Shire dipped after U.S. regulators withheldapproval for a new drug.
Britain's FTSE 100 index closed down 25.71 points,0.4 percent, at 6,352.33 points at the close, underperformingEuropean indexes.
Mining shares fell along with metals prices after Chinareported that economic growth slowed in the third quarter. Whilethe data were slightly stronger than expected, growth was stillat its weakest since 2009, reflecting a sluggish global economythat is hurting demand for metals.
Anglo American fell 7.4 percent. Glencore,Antofagasta and BHP Billiton were all down 3 to5.2 percent.
Chinese manufacturing data came in weaker than forecast.
"Given the relatively poor performance of manufacturing,that is probably a reason why ... mining stocks have taken alittle bit of a dent," said Laith Khalaf, senior analyst atHargreaves Lansdown.
Despite a rally of around 5 percent so far in October, theFTSE 100 remains down about 10 percent from record highs reachedin April.
Pharmaceutical company Shire turned positive inafternoon trade. The stock had fallen after the U.S. Food andDrug Administration declined to approve its dry-eye drug,lifitegrast, and requested an additional clinical study.
Shire's chief executive said the company still plans apotential 2016 launch for the drug.
"We believe the CRL (Complete Response Letter) was fairlywell anticipated by the market, with Shire having been warningof the risk of a delay, pending more clinical data, for the lastfew months," analysts at JPMorgan wrote in a note.
Barclays rose 1.5 percent after Financial Timesreport that it will speed up the reduction in size of itsinvestment bank. (Editing by Larry King/Ruth Pitchford)