Europe's stock markets CRASH: 3-month low over Euro Bank’s support withdrawal

Germany’s top share index the DAX crashed another 0.3 per cent on Friday, and France’s equivalent the CAC 40 tumbled 0.4 per cent, following up heavy losses for both the previous day.

Shares have been hit following the revelation monetary policymakers could start to scale down support for the eurozone.

The ECB slashed interest rates and launched a huge money-printing programme in an effort to boost growth and inflation across the bloc.

The measures weakened the euro, which helped boost share prices.

But at the ECB’s most recent meeting, the minutes showed policymakers considered dropping the pledge to boost the bond-buying programme, which it uses to inject money into the economy.

Markets read this as a sign it was only a matter of time before the money printing is reduced.

David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: “The eurozone has been enjoyed a spell of positive economic data recently and policy makers at the European Central Bank (ECB) even consider dropping the pledge to keep buying government bonds it has emerged.

“The ECB choose to keep that statement in their latest update, but the very fact that it was up for debate tells us what direction the policy is heading it.

“The very aggressive easing policy certainly assisted the economic health of the region, but it also pushed up equity markets.

“Now central bankers are thinking about moving away from an easing bias, it prompted traders to cash in their positions.”