THE FTSE 100 Index hit fresh 22-month highs yesterday – as hopes rose for recovery in the US and Prime Minister Gordon Brown fired the starting gun for a general election.

The London market closed up 35.4 points at 5780.3 after rising near the 5800 mark earlier in the day as City traders played catch-up following the Easter break.

The much anticipated May 6 election date did little to move the market, however, with dealing rooms more focused on prospects for the world’s biggest economy.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average pulled back from the 11,000 mark in early trading.