The blue-chip FTSE 100 advanced 0.3%, after closing in the red on Tuesday for the first time this year. The more domestically focused FTSE 250 mid-cap index shed 0.2%.

Industrial metal miners took an early lead, gaining 2.4% as copper prices hovered near their highest in more than six months, helped by optimism over top consumer China's decision to reopen its borders.

Glencore and Rio Tinto gained more than 1% each.

Among individual stocks, Direct Line crashed 26.6% after the insurer said it is scrapping its final dividend for 2022 following a surge in claims, and weighed on peer Admiral, which dropped 15.0%.

JD Sports climbed 4.8% after the clothes and footwear retailer reported total revenue growth of more than 20% for six weeks in the run-up to Christmas.

(Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)