The blue chip FTSE 100 index <.FTSE> was up 0.5 percent at 7,100.55 points by 1211 GMT, reaching its highest level since October.

Mining stocks <.FTNMX1770> were the biggest gainers, up 3.5 percent and helped by a firmer oil price and a rally in copper, with which mining shares tend to be closely correlated. [MET/L]

BHP Billiton (>> BHP Billiton plc), Fresnillo (>> Fresnillo Plc), Rio Tinto (>> Rio Tinto plc), Anglo American (>> Anglo American plc) and Glencore (>> Glencore PLC) were all up between 3.4 to 4.3 percent.

The British mining sector has rallied more than 100 percent in 2016, but has pulled back slightly after reaching a year-high earlier in December.

"Some of the other metals are actually showing negative for the day, but the fact that they look to have bottomed out in the run-in to Christmas and have held firm perhaps yesterday as well is a positive," Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said.

"We were in a downtrend that started end of November, so if we can call the end to that, that will be good for (the miners)."

Among the top fallers, airlines International Consolidated Airlines (>> International Consolidated Airlns Grp SA) and easyJet (>> easyJet plc) lagged, down 2.3 percent and 1.5 percent respectively, on worries sparked by news that French peer Airbus (>> Airbus Group) postponed deliveries of 12 A380 planes to Emirates Airline.

While the midcap FTSE 250 index <.FTMC> also outperformed, also 0.5 percent higher, a 4.8 percent fall in Bovis Homes (>> Bovis Homes Group plc) pulled down shares in property stocks after the housebuilder issued a profit warning.

Sector peers Crest Nicholson (>> Crest Nicholson Holdings PLC) and Berkeley Group (>> Berkeley Group Holdings PLC) dropped 2.5 percent and 1.3 percent respectively.

(Reporting by Kit Rees; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

By Kit Rees