Miners dent Britain's FTSE on China demand fears; Next weakens

* FTSE 100 down 0.5 pct; miners fall 0.7 pct

* Next hit by profit-taking after results

* Vodafone falls; CEO says open to Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) deal-Bloomberg

* RBS (LSE: RBS.L - news) , Lloyds rise after poll shows most Scots oppose independence

By Tricia Wright

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Britain's top shares dropped on Thursday as concerns over demand from China took their toll on miners, while clothing retailer Next fell after its results underwhelmed the market.

But companies with exposure to Scotland, including banks RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, advanced after a new poll showed a majority of Scottish voters want to stay in the United Kingdom.

Next fell 3 percent. Traders blamed profit-taking following a strong run after the company's failed to lift its full-year guidance despite reporting a 19.3 percent rise in first-half profit.

Its shares have gained some 30 percent this year, in contrast with the near 1 percent advance of the FTSE as a whole.

Weak Chinese inflation data, which showed more signs of cooling growth in the world's top metals user, sent heavyweight mining stocks down 0.7 percent

The FTSE 100 index closed down 30.49 points, or 0.5 percent, at 6,799.62 points.

Companies with strong business ties to Scotland gained across the board after a poll late on Wednesday showed 53 percent of voters in Scotland intend to vote against breaking away from the United Kingdom in next week's referendum.

Utility SSE topped the blue-chip leader board, up 2.8 percent, with Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland up 1.2 percent and 1.1 percent respectively, and insurer Standard Life (LSE: SL.L - news) 1.5 percent higher.

The two banks had said on Wednesday they would relocate to England if Scotland votes to end its 307-year union with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Their shares were hit in the past week as investors fretted over the economic impact of an independent Scotland, including uncertainty over its currency and sovereign debt.

Traders saw scope for the FTSE 100, which is 1.5 percent below a Sept. 4 multi-year high of 6,904.86, to stage a rebound.

"If it (the latest poll) proves to be correct (when Scotland votes on Sept. 18), we should see a rally in the FTSE to test the 6,900 level."

Elsewhere among the falling stocks, Vodafone shed 0.8 percent, after its chief executive Vittorio Colao said Europe's biggest cable group Liberty Global could be a good fit for the mobile operator "for the right price", according to a Bloomberg report. Vodafone declined to comment.

Traders were monitoring developments in the Middle East after U.S. President Barack Obama said he had authorised U.S. air strikes for the first time in Syria and more attacks in Iraq in a broad escalation of a campaign against the Islamic State militant group. (Additional reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)