LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Copper slipped to its lowest in over a month on Thursday, falling below $6,000 a tonne as demand worries dogged investors following weak U.S. housing data and further gains in London Metal Exchange inventories. Copper for three month delivery MCU3 on the LME ended at $5,950 a tonne from $6,126 at the close on Wednesday. The metal, used in power and construction, earlier touched $5,930, its lowest level since August 19. "The U.S. housing data is indicating the market was too optimistic on the pace of economic recovery especially in the housing sector," said Peter Fertig, an analyst at Quantitative Commodity Research. Latest U.S data showed sales of previously owned homes fell unexpectedly in August, stoking concern about the health of the the U.S. housing market, a leading user of copper [ID:nN24411383] The dollar rose versus the euro in response to the data, making dollar-priced metals more expensive for non-U.S. investors. [USD/] Also weighing on sentiment were comments from major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, that they were scaling back some emergency lending facilities. On Wednesday, upbeat comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve on the economy and promises to keep interest rates low for a long time, failed to reassure investors. [ID:nN23390829] "Ironically, the markets may have interpreted the statement to mean that the economic recovery is still too fragile to allow the Fed to step back," said MF Global in a note. Data showing LME copper stocks rose 8,925 tonnes to 340,875 tonnes, was also pressuring prices. LME stocks have clocked up gains of over 30 percent since mid-July. Part of the reason is reduced buying from China, the world's largest metals consumer. Data earlier this week showed China's refined copper imports fell 25 percent in August from the previous month, with further falls expected through the year. [ID:nHKG189580] HARD LABOUR Labour negotiations were also on investors' radar, with Union workers at Chile's Spence copper mine likely to reject BHP Billiton's collective contract offer and vote to strike in coming days. [ID:nN23391637] Adding to Thursday's overall poor sentiment, equity and oil markets drifted lower. [.EU] [.N] [O/R] In other base metals, aluminium MAL3 fell to more than a one week low at $1,825 and later ended at $1,840 from $1,873. LME stocks of the metal, used in transport and packaging, fell 5,575 tonnes to remain at record levels toward 4.6 million tonnes. Steel making ingredient nickel MNI3 closed at $17,100 from $17,875, having falling nearly 5 percent to a session low of $17,000, while battery material lead MPB3 ended down more than 3 percent at $2,171 from $2,240. Zinc MZN3 closed at $1,864 a tonne from $1,903, having hit a more than one week low of $1,850 and tin MSN3 was last bid at $14,350 versus $14,650. A dominant position holding more than 90 percent of stock warrants and cash contracts in tin has pushed up the premium for cash material over the three-month future to near five year highs of about $700 a tonne.

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