FTSE up as US bank plan eases anxiety, miners rise

* FTSE 100 gains 3.4 percent

* Banks gain as U.S. plan calms nerves

* Energy, miners gain on rising commodity prices

By Simon Falush

LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index rose 3.4 percent early on Tuesday adding to strong gains the previous session as a plan from the U.S. Treasury to inject $250 billion into banks further eased anxiety on financial markets.

The gains add to a recovery which started on Monday on a British plan to pump 37 billion pounds ($64 billion) of taxpayer cash into three major banks.

By 0728 GMT the FTSE 100 .FTSE rose 143 points to trade at 4,399.9, adding to an 8.3 percent gain the previous session.

Japan's Nikkei 225 .N225 surged over 14 percent to post its biggest one-day gain in its 58-year history while other Asian and European markets were also sharply higher as investors regained some confidence.

Banks were again in strong positive territory on the FTSE 100. Barclays (BARC.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) was up 7.4 percent, Lloyds TSB (LLOY.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) gained 4.7 percent, HBOS (HBOS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) rose 7.6 percent and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) strengthened 2.9 percent.

Interdealer broker ICAP (IAP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) gained 1.8 percent, and insurers Old Mutual (OML.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Aviva (AV.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) put on 5.5 and 4.2 percent, respectively.

Financials have been boosted by a sense that a frozen credit market may be starting to thaw, but analysts said more monetary easing, in addition to a coordinated 50 basis point cuts by major central banks, would be needed.

"The most important thing is to get money markets working again," said Neil Parker, market strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland.

"If we can do that, with a combination of the measures that have already been put in place and further interest rate cuts from the central banks, then we could be reaching a turning point."

Investors will watch CPI data at 0830 GMT for clues on monetary policy and signs that inflation has peaked which would enable growth-boosting rate cuts.

Miners and energy stocks were also among the top gainers as gold <XAU=> jumped 2 percent and oil CLc1 rose more than $2 per barrel.