FTSE falls in seesaw session

By Michael Taylor

LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 .FTSE ended down on Friday as lower crude oil prices weighed on commodity shares but lifted British Airways (BAY.L), while funding concerns dragged banks lower.

The blue-chip index slipped 14.6 points, or 0.2 percent at 6,053.5 at the end of a volatile trading session in which it dipped in and out of positive territory.

With few companies reporting results to offer direction, traders eyed U.S. economic data which showed that personal spending rose by 0.2 percent in April, as forecast, and a key measure of inflation moderated.

Among sectors in play, crude OIL CLc1 was at about $127 a barrel -- down from its recent record highs above $135.

Major oil companies BP (BP.L) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) gave up between 0.7 and 1.7 percent.

BG Group (BG.L) lost 2.2 percent after Australia's Origin Energy (ORG.AX) rejected a $13 billion (6.5 billion pounds) bid from the gas producer. Falling gold and the lower oil price weighed on miners, with Xstrata (XTA.L), Anglo American (AAL.L) and Rio Tinto (RIO.L) slipping 0.8-2 percent.

BHP Billiton (BLT.L), the world's biggest mining group, has formally filed with the European Commission for clearance to take over rival Rio Tinto (RIO.L), a commission list of M&A cases showed.

The commission, the European Union's executive arm and also its antitrust regulator, set a deadline of July 4 for consideration of the deal. BHP lost 2.4 percent.