European shares trimmed losses yesterday after stronger-than-expected US construction and manufacturing data eased worries about the scope of a slowdown in the world's biggest economy, but miners continued to weigh.

Data showing a rebound in the US industrial sector in December calmed fears of a sharper slowdown in factory activity. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of national factory activity climbed to 51.4 from 49.5 in November - above the 50 threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Wall Street forecasts had centred around 49.9.

Separately, US construction spending fell a smaller-than-expected 0.2 per cent in November.

At 1510 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.1 per cent at 1,500.66 points, still weighed by mining stocks such as Antofagasta, which fell in step with tumbling copper prices.