STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-UK small caps fall 0.6 percent midday

The FTSE Small Cap index .FTSC falls 0.6 percent in midday deals, while the blue chips .FTSE are off 0.8 percent and the midcaps .FTMC drop 2.3 percent.

Animal genetics company Genus (GENS.L) falls 6 percent as the swine flu outbreak raises concerns over the price of pork and worries over restrictions on pig transportation.

Sausage skin maker Devro (DVO.L), and pork supplier Cranswick (CWK.L) are also hit by swine flu anxiety, down 4.6 percent, 4.1 percent, respectively.

Hosted speech recognition services company Eckoh (ECK.L) soars 32.6 percent after an upbeat trading update highlighting a three-year contract with Capita (CPI.L) and Intelecom UK, alongside two contract renewals in the utility sector.

For more on Genus double click on [ID:nLR189675]; for more on swine flu, click on [FLU/]; for more on Eckoh double click on [ID:nLR150224]

Reuters Messaging rm://tricia.wright.reuters.com@reuters.net