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* FTSE 100 down 0.4%, FTSE 250 off 0.1%

March 5 (Reuters) - Britain's blue-chip stock index fell to a near-three week low on Tuesday, dragged down by Ashtead Group and commodity-linked shares, while telecommunications testing firm Spirent surged nearly 60% following a buyout deal.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 slipped 0.4% by 0815 GMT, touching its lowest level since Feb. 16.

Shares of commodity majors such as BP, Shell and Glencore fell about a percent each as oil and metal prices dipped after pledges by China to transform its economy amid stuttering growth since the COVID pandemic failed to impress investors.

Ashtead dropped 6.1%, the biggest loser in the FTSE 100, after the British equipment rental firm forecast full-year group rental revenue at the lower end of 11%-13% growth range.

The mid-cap FTSE 250 index dipped 0.1%.

Shares of Spirent Communications jumped after U.S.-based communications equipment firm Viavi Solutions Inc agreed to buy the British firm in a deal valued at about 1.01 billion pounds ($1.28 billion).

Inchcape fell 7.6% after the car distributor said it expects "moderated growth" in the short term.

(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)