LONDON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- British stocks decreased on Thursday, with the benchmark FTSE 100 Index down by 1.52 percent, or 101.31 points, to close at 6,584.68 points.

Micro Focus International, a multinational software and information technology business, was the worst performer in the blue chips, with its shares losing 5.22 percent. SSE, a Scottish energy company, dropped 4.44 percent. AstraZeneca, a multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, fell 4.04 percent.

Randgold Resources, an international gold mining and exploration business, soared 6.44 percent, the top gainer of the blue chips. Fresnillo and Sage Group increased by 3.86 percent and 3.53 percent respectively. Enditem