Britain's FTSE sets record high above 1999 peak

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index climbed to a record high on Tuesday as a rally in miners helped the three-decade old blue-chip index to surpass the previous lifetime high set in late 1999.

The FTSE 100 hit a new record peak of 6,954.79, surpassing its previous life-time high of 6,950.60, set on December 30, 1999. The index was up 0.6 percent at 6,953.60 points by 1606 GMT.

The FTSE 100 index has gained about 13 percent since a December low and is up nearly 6 percent this year.

Global miner BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) led the market higher. It rose 6.9 percent after flagging further belt tightening to withstand tough conditions and reported a 31 percent drop in half-year profit that beat market forecasts.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Alistair Smout)