Shares in British banks were broadly down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading as uncertainty continued to reign in Egypt.

Protests against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak have continued, leading to a rise in oil prices, brought on by fears that political instability could disrupt shipments through the Suez Canal.

Brent crude reached over $100 a barrel, the highest figure since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

By 09:55 shares in RBS were down 0.98 per cent to 41.27 pence per share, Barclays shares declined 0.53 per cent to 292.20 pence per share and HSBC shares fell 0.19 per cent to 679.30 pence per share.

However Lloyds Banking Group saw its shares rise 0.79 per cent to 63.68 pence per share.

Overall the FTSE 100 was up 0.31 per cent to 5,881.34.

Barclays HSBC FTSE Egypt