LONDON, Feb 28: Europe's main stock markets closed lower on Thursday, hit by weaker-than-expected US growth figures that added to concerns the US economy was at serious risk of recession, dealers said.

In London, the FTSE 100 index shed 1.82 per cent at 5,965.70 points, in Paris, the CAC 40 index tumbled 2.08 per cent to 4,865.23 points and in Frankfurt the Dax lost 1.93 per cent to 6,862.52 points.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading European shares was down 1.84 percent to 3,785.88 points.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.60 per cent at 12,618.41 points at 1553 GMT as investors reacted nervously to the latest set of poor US data and a series of disappointing corporate results.

The market got no support from US President George W. Bush’s insistence that he did not think the US economy was going into recession.

In London, the damage was done by business services group Rentokil Initial which tumbled 23.33 percent to 80.50 pence after reporting a lower 2007 net profit and warning that this year's results will also be down.—AFP