UK's FTSE touches new record high as Intertek and miners rise

* FTSE 100 up 0.3 pct, hits new record high

* Intertek up after profits and dividend rise

* China rate cut boosts mining stocks

By Sudip Kar-Gupta

LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index climbed on Monday to set a new record high, breaking through last month's peak, as a rise in mining stocks and Intertek lifted the market.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 equity index rose as much as 0.3 percent to a record intraday high of 6,972.01 points. The index is up around 6 percent since the start of 2015.

"The FTSE is moving slowly towards 7,000 points. Momentum-wise, it's looking pretty positive, and you've got to keep running with it at the moment," said Hantec Markets analyst Richard Perry.

Intertek rose 3.6 percent, the best-performing FTSE 100 stock in percentage terms, after the product-testing company posted higher profits and revenues and raised its dividend.

Mining stocks such as Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) , Glencore and Rio Tinto (Xetra: 855018 - news) also climbed higher to feature on the FTSE's list of best-performing stocks.

The mining sector was boosted after China, which is the world's biggest consumer of metals, cut interest rates over the weekend in order to support the world's second-largest economy as its momentum slows and deflation risks rise.

China's rate cut lifted the price of copper, while Glencore got a further boost after Credit Suisse (LSE: 0QP5.L - news) raised its rating on Glencore (Xetra: A1JAGV - news) to "outperform" from "neutral".

"Medium-term, we're still bullish, but we could see some profit-taking on the FTSE if it hits 7,000 points," said Thames Capital Markets' senior trader Gerren O'Neill. (Editing by Catherine Evans)