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* FTSE 100 down 0.4 pct
* Trade tensions weigh on stocks
* WPP drops after co to probe CEO
By Kit Rees
The blue chip FTSE 100 was down 0.4 percent at7,003.09 points by 0859 GMT, while mid caps fell 0.6percent.
Shares in WPP fell 1.5 percent after the advertising groupsaid it was investigating an allegation of personal misconductagainst its CEO, Martin Sorrell, who denied wrongdoing.
"Given (Sorrell's) high profile, the accusations are boundto attract a lot of attention and, given he is the face of WPPto many, there is likely to be a negative impact on sentimenttoday," analysts at Liberum said in a note.
"One thing this may do is intensify talk about Sir Martin'ssuccessor at WPP, which has been an issue lurking in thebackground," Liberum analysts added.
The FTSE 100 extended losses, in line with a broader slideamong European indexes, after
Worries over global trade have weighed on stocks over thepast month, with the Trump administration set to unveil a listof Chinese advanced technology imports targeted for
"It's more (about) the second-order effects on global growthsentiment, and the fact that this is all arriving at a timewhere some of the leading indicators have been rolling overanyway," Ian Williams, economics & strategy research analyst atPeel Hunt, said.
"Generally, at times like this historically the
The trend across the FTSE 100 was risk-averse, with sectorsconsidered more defensive plays in demand.
Health stocks Shire and GlaxoSmithKline wereamong the biggest gainers, while precious metals miner Fresnillowas up 1.9 percent, as gold is considered a safe-havenasset.
Sectors which are more sensitive to the economic cycle suchas financials and materials were by contrast the biggest weightson the index.
While individual stock moves were relatively muted, sharesin grocer Morrison were the top gainers, up nearly 2percent following the release of industry data compiled byKantar Worldpanel.
The data showed Morrison and peer Tesco continuedto outperform rival "big four" supermarkets in the 12 weeks toMarch 25, with both enjoying sales growth of 2.4 percent. Sharesin Tesco however declined 0.7 percent.(Reporting by Kit ReesEditing by David Holmes)
