Character Regulatory News (CCT)

24 Mar 2006 14:55

Nigel Dobbs24 March 2006 FORM 8.1 DEALINGS BY OFFERORS, OFFEREE COMPANIES OR THEIR ASSOCIATES FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR DISCRETIONARY CLIENTS (Rules 8.1(a) and (b)(i) of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) 1. KEY INFORMATION Name of person dealing (Note 1) NIGEL DOBBS Company dealt in CHARACTER GROUP Class of relevant security to which the dealings being disclosed relate (Note 2) Date of dealing 23/3/06 2. INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE (a) Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant security dealt in (Note 3) Long Short Number (%) Number (%) (1) Relevant securities 775,000 (2) Derivatives (other than options) (3) Options and agreements to purchase/sell Total (b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other than the class dealt in (Note 3) Class of relevant security: Long Short Number (%) Number (%) (1) Relevant securities (2) Derivatives (other than options) (3) Options and agreements to purchase/sell Total (c) Rights to subscribe (Note 3) Class of relevant security: Details 3. DEALINGS (Note 4) (a) Purchases and sales Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit (Note 5) SALE 20000 71pSALE 10000 70p (b) Derivatives transactions (other than options) Product name, Long/short Number of securities Price per unit e.g. CFD (Note 6) (Note 7) (Note 5) (c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Product Writing, Number of Exercise Type, e.g. Expiry Option moneyname, selling, securities price American, date paid/e.g. purchasing, to which European received call varying etc. the option etc. per unit option relates (Note 5) (Note 7) (ii) Exercising Product name, e.g. Number of securities Exercise price per unit (Note 5)call option (d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4) Nature of transaction Details Price per unit (Note 8) (if applicable) (Note 5) 4. OTHER INFORMATION Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the persondisclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of any relevantsecurities under any option referred to on this form or relating to the votingrights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which anyderivative referred to on this form is referenced. If none, this should bestated. Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9) YES/NO Date of disclosure 24/03/2006 Contact name EMMA CHAPMAN Telephone number 02890 323456 Name of offeree/offeror with which associated Specify category and nature of associate status (Note 10) Notes The Notes on Form 8.1 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website atwww.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange