LONDON - Britain's leading shares fell for the fourth straight session, led by heavy losses in banks and miners weighed by uncertainty over euro zone debt concerns, as Britain's electorate went to the polls.

The FTSE 100 index closed down 80.94 points, or 1.5 percent at 5,260.99.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares fell sharply for the third consecutive session to a more than two-month closing low, as fears of a contagion from Greece's debt crisis rattled investors' confidence.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 closed 1.6 percent lower at 1,006.66 points, the lowest closing level since February 26.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,908.26 points, down 50.19 or 0.84 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,556.11 points, down 79.92 or 2.20 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,387.52 points, down 60.97 or 0.95 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 20,137.84 points, down 845.61 or 4.03 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average slid 3.27 percent to a two-month closing low, catching up with falls in other markets after a string of holidays in Japan, as more signs emerged that the fallout from the Greek debt crisis may spread to bigger European economies. The Nikkei fell 361.71 points to 10,695.69.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Bearish sentiment in Hong Kong grew, evidenced by a spurt in short-selling in the previous session when the Hang Seng slipped to a 10-week low on improving volume. The Hang Seng index closed at 20,133.41 points, down 194.13 or 0.96 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Shares dropped 2.16 percent to a near three-month low, as riots in Athens rattled investors worldwide and stoked fears that Greece's debt crisis would spread.

The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 100.8 points to finish at 4,573.2, extending losses for the week to almost five percent taking the market to its lowest level since mid-February.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand slid on euro weakness and government bonds were battered by concerns over sovereign debt as fears grow about the Greece crisis spreading across Europe.

The All-share index closed at 27,512.83 points, down 103.85 or 0.38 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,423.54 points, up 9.54 or 0.4 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,812.78 points, down 27.5 or 0.13 percent.