LONDON, Aug 3: Europe's main stock markets slid lower on Friday after a volatile week that was rocked by investor concerns over the global impact of the slumping US housing sector, dealers said.

World equity markets have been in turmoil over fears about a subprime credit crisis spreading to the global economy.

Frankfurt, London and Paris clawed back ground on Thursday, after diving by more than 1.5 per cent on Wednesday owing to jitters about US credit markets.

It's a time for reflection after a fairly traumatic week linked to credit concerns, said Howard Wheeldon, strategist at BGC Partners.

At the half-way stage on Friday, London's FTSE 100 index of leading blue-chip shares fell 0.22 per cent to 6,286.30 points.

In Frankfurt the DAX 30 also lost 0.22 per cent to 7,517.88 and the Paris CAC 40 declined 0.28 per cent to 5,665.95 points.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of top eurozone shares shed 0.15 per cent to 4,282.18 points. The euro stood at 1.3693 dollars.

Wall Street closed higher Thursday as investors found relief in positive company news after several days of volatile trading.

In Frankfurt, shares in Germany's Hypo Real Estate nosedived 5.17 per cent to 41.67 euros, as rumours circulated that the German real estate group's exposure to the mounting US subprime crisis was higher than previously assumed.

The European energy sector was meanwhile lower as crude prices continued to fall from their recent record high point in New York.

In London, Anglo-Dutch group Royal Dutch Shell saw its 'A' shares lose 0.96 per cent to 1,862 pence, and peer BP tumbled 1.07 per cent to 557 pence.

Shares in oil and gas giant Total sank 1.21 per cent to 55.38 euros in Paris.—AFP