The London stock market closed higher on Thursday with the leading share index FTSE 100 up by 15. 97 points, or 0.30 percent, at 5,253.89 points. BP was 6.7 percent up while banks also rose with RBS up 3.4 percent and Lloyds Banking Group 3 percent higher. Minings firms Fresnillo and Xstrata was down 2.8 percent and 2. 4 percent respectively. 