Investor Relations

Transaction in own shares

The Company announces that, pursuant to its general authority granted by shareholders of the Company on 16 May 2005 to make market purchases of its ordinary shares of 5p each ("Ordinary Shares"), the Company today made on market purchases of 20,000 Ordinary Shares at 192p per share (all of which are to be held as treasury shares).

The Company now holds 540,418 Ordinary Shares in treasury and the total number of Ordinary Shares in issue less the total number of Ordinary Shares held in treasury following the purchase and non-cancellation of such Ordinary Shares is 9,880,812 Ordinary Shares. This notification is pursuant to the amendment of the Companies Act 1985 to allow companies to buy-back and hold certain types of their own shares 'in treasury'.

18 October 2005

Enquiries:

Arthur Ralley - Chairman 01782 744721
Brett Phillips - Finance Director 01782 744721