Britain's FTSE hits six-week high, miners lead

* FTSE 100 index rises 0.5 percent

* UK mining index up 1.4 percent, top gainer

* Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) advances after strong output update

By Atul Prakash

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index hit a

six-week high on Thursday, with miners leading the market higher

tracking firmer metals prices, while Anglo American also

reported strong output numbers.

The UK mining index, the biggest sectoral

gainer, was up 1.4 percent. Anglo American rose 3.2

percent to the top of the blue-chip FTSE 100 index after

its copper output rose 18 percent and iron ore 10 percent in the

first quarter.

"AAL's update shows a stronger output and an increase in

guidance for copper. With recent Chinese PMI data still showing

a reading below 50, this update and the upcoming updates from

the world's largest miners may go some way to ease investors'

nerves," Tom Robertson, senior trader at Accendo Markets, said.

Other miners also gained, with Antofagasta (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) up 1.1

percent and Rio Tinto (Xetra: 855018 - news) rising 1.4 percent, helped by a

rise in key industrial metals prices, underpinned by strong

seasonal demand in top consumer China and supply concerns.

Basic resources (Frankfurt: W8Z.F - news) shares helped the FTSE 100 to trade 0.5

percent higher at 6,709.60 points by 0811 GMT after it hit a

six-week high of 6,713.73 points.

However, charts suggested that investors remained cautious

despite the index bouncing back after falling last week to touch

a major support line in the form of its long-term uptrend at

around 6,500.

"The good news for the bulls is that this line still appears

to be providing solid support, as does the 200-day moving

average," Bill McNamara, analyst at Charles Stanley (LSE: CAY.L - news) , said.

"The fact that the index bounced so modestly following three

weeks of declines ...looks like a clear indication that

investors remain cautious. The FTSE might not be finished with

its test of support," he said adding the index could fall as low

as 6,492 points in the near term.

Among individual movers, AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN - news) rose 2 percent

after highlighting progress with a new generation of cancer

drugs that may revive its fortunes as it posted a 17 percent

fall in core earnings per share.

ARM Holdings (LSE: ARM.L - news) rose 0.7 percent after U.S. tech giants

Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) and Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) posted strong results late on

Wednesday, boosting their shares in after-hours trading.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by John Stonestreet)