* FTSE 100 up 0.3 percent
* Miners reverse on stimulus bets after weak China data
* esure falls sharply after results miss consensus (Updates with closing prices)
By Alistair Smout and Liisa Tuhkanen
LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Britain's top share indexrecouped early losses on Monday, following a sharp reversal inmajor mining stocks, which turned higher on hopes of stimulusafter weak data in China.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was up 17.73 points, or0.3 percent, at 6,736.22 points by the close, turning higherafter gains in early trade on Wall Street.
The index is up 2.6 percent since the start of 2015 but isover 5 percent below an April record high of 7,122.74 points.
Miners, which account for around a 10th of the FTSE 100 interms of market capitalisation, recouped early losses to finishamong top gainers. While weak China data had hit copper, miredat a six-year low, it rallied on hopes that it may promptfurther stimulus from Chinese authorities.
Jeremy Batstone-Carr, market analyst at Charles Stanley,remained cautious on the mining sector, and said that weak datamay result in China devaluing its currency.
"The pressure is rising on China to devalue ... which wouldsupport China's equity but not help metal prices or UK-listedminers," he said.
Oil stocks were some of the most heavyweight fallers,trimming 5 points off the index as the poor China data also sentBrent crude to a six month low, before rebounding slightly.
Among mid caps, insurance company esure dropped 9.6percent after its interim results marginally missed analysts'consensus forecast, hit by weakness in its motor insurancebusiness.
"The company posted a massive 81 percent drop in tradingprofit from its motor insurance arm, decidedly offsetting a risein premiums in other areas of the business," Augustin Eden,analyst at Accendo Markets, said in a note. (Editing by Alison Williams)
