FTSE rises towards five-week high, miners rally

* Blue-chip FTSE 100 index up 0.4 percent

* Miners rally as China data raise stimulus hopes

* Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE.L - news) surges, Serco slumps (Adds quotes, detail, updates prices)

By Alistair Smout

EDINBURGH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index advanced towards a five-week high on Monday, with miners rising on hopes that mixed data from China, the world's biggest metals consumer, may prompt the country to launch more stimulus.

Chinese inflation remained near a five-year low and annual growth in exports and imports slowed in October.

"With the Chinese economy still struggling it is very likely that further stimulus might be needed in the months ahead. Additionally precious metals have moved substantially off their lows seen just a few days ago," Markus Huber, senior analyst at Peregrine & Black, said.

"Many are not only hoping that precious metals have put in a bottom for now but also that the move to the downside has been overdone, which also is benefiting miners."

The UK mining index rose 1.2 percent, a top sectoral gainer, helped by a 1.5 percent rise for BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) and a 2.2 percent rise in Antofagasta (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) .

The sector remains down 15 percent from its 2014 highs, set at the end of July. Precious metals miners such as Fresnillo , up 2.5 percent on Monday to be the top FTSE riser, have been under pressure as gold has dropped to a 4-1/2 year low.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent to 6,590.28 points by 1127 GMT to hover below Friday's five-week high. The index is down 2.3 percent so far this year.

The index saw steep falls in October, as uncertainty over the global economy and tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East hurt sentiment.

"October was a very volatile month, and investors are still dusting themselves down and reassessing the situation," Mike McCudden, head of retail derivatives at Interactive Investor, said. "The markets will get back up to recent highs assuming Ukraine and the Middle East stays under control."

Among other sharp movers, mid-cap oil explorer Cairn Energy rose 11.6 percent after saying it had made a second oil discovery off Senegal.

On the other hand, mid-cap services outsourcer Serco tumbled 30 percent after saying it planned to raise up to 550 million pounds through a rights issue after cutting its forecasts and writing down the value of its business. (Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Hugh Lawson)