LONDON, Aug 29: Europe's main stock markets fell further on Wednesday after fresh overnight losses on Wall Street and earlier in Asia, as investor sentiment was rattled by fresh US economic concerns, dealers said.

Global share prices are falling once again, with investors running for cover because of bad news in the United States on consumer confidence and the country's beleaguered housing sector, they added.

There was a feeling of deja vu, with credit concerns and rising risk aversion back on the agenda, translating into a weaker equity market, said CIBC economist Audrey Childe-Freeman in London on Wednesday.

In early morning trade, London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares dipped 0.48 per cent to 6,072.90 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 0.75 per cent to 7,374.76 points and in Paris the CAC 40 decreased 0.41 per cent to 5,451.98.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of top eurozone shares gave up 0.44 per cent to 4,152.18 points.

Wall Street shares took a heavy pounding Tuesday as renewed credit and economic fears prompted the leading Dow Jones Industrial Average to plummet by more than 2.0 per cent.

Minutes released by the Federal Reserve, from an interest rate policy meeting earlier this month, failed to reassure markets that the US central bank was being open about the extent of the credit and economic problems.

In Europe, sliding metals prices placed the mining sector under pressure.

In London, Xstrata shares tumbled 2.37 per cent to 2,765 pence, Antofagasta dived 2.05 per cent to 669.5 pence and Rio Tinto slumped 1.88 per cent to 3,185 pence.

Markets have fallen sharply in recent weeks due to concern about the US subprime mortgage market, in which housing loans were extended to borrowers with patchy pasts who are now defaulting.

The market woes have triggered fears of a global liquidity crunch as exposed investors scramble to cover their losses and banks tighten their lending criteria.—AFP