Europe's stock markets dropped on Wednesday following losses in Asia and on Wall Street, with global equities slammed by sliding oil prices and US tax doubts, traders said.

Around 1015 GMT, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.3 percent, dragged down by falls in heavyweight oil and mining share prices.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 index shed 0.9 percent and the Paris CAC 40 lost 0.5 percent compared with the closing levels on Tuesday. 

The "sell-off has continued apace... with the FTSE hitting a six-week low despite a solid batch of UK employment figures", said Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG trading group.