London pre-open: Small gains ahead

BP could be in focus again after US politicians attacked BP's Hayward on Capitol Hill last night. London's top stocks are tipped to gain 10 points early on.US politicians carried out an eight hour-long assault on BP chief Tony Hayward last night, accusing the oil man of ignoring the risks his company was taking drilling a mile down in the Gulf of Mexico. There was "not a single e-mail or document that you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at this well," Henry Waxman, joint chairman of the House committee on energy and commerce, told a subdued Hayward Thursday. The Briton said he was "deeply sorry" for the spill, the worst environmental disaster in US history.Fund manager Henderson has scrapped its planned acquisition of fund boutiques run by US asset manager RidgeWorth Capital Management after failing to agree terms with owner SunTrust Banks. The £1bn UK firm said discussions "have been discontinued as the parties have not reached agreement on terms".Blue-collar recruitment and training specialist Staffline now expects earnings for both the first half and full financial year to be significantly ahead of current expectations. The company upped its forecasts thanks to a number of new business wins and the impact of recent acquisitions together with increased demand from existing clients. Engineering services group Lamprell has secured a $129m new contract from Seajacks for the design and construction of a Gusto MSC NG-5500 design self-elevating and self-propelled offshore wind turbine installation vessel. The vessel, named "Seajacks Zaratan", will be constructed at Lamprell's Hamriyah facility and is due to be delivered in 2012. BP Staffline