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	  FTSE 100 flat, FTSE 250 off 0.2% 

April 17 (Reuters) -

The UK's FTSE 100 was flat on Wednesday as a lesser-than-expected slowdown in Britain's inflation rate weighed on market sentiment, although strength in industrial metal miners capped a wider loss.

As of 0722 GMT, the blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was flat and the mid-cap FTSE 250 .FTMC lost 0.2% after posting steep losses on Tuesday.

Industrial metal miners .FTNMX551020 gained 1.5%, with shares of Rio Tinto (RIO) RIO.L up nearly 2% after iron ore futures climbed to their highest levels in more than five weeks.

Traders were still confused after Britain's inflation slowed to 3.2% in March, but was slightly higher than economists' expectations of 3.1%, according to a Reuters poll. However, the data still affirmed a cooling trend.

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