Character Regulatory News (CCT)

2 May 2007 07:52

Character Group PLC02 May 2007 The Character Group plc 2 May 2007 The Character Group plc (the 'Group' or 'Company') Transaction in Own Shares As part of the Group's stated objective to enhance shareholder value, theCompany advises that it has yesterday purchased in the market through CharlesStanley Securities 500,000 ordinary shares in the Company at a price of 199.5pence per share. This represents approximately 1.1% of the issued share capitalof the Company (excluding shares held in treasury). 20,678 of the sharesrepurchased will be held in treasury and the remaining 479,322 shares will becancelled. After purchasing such shares as were available in the market and in order tosatisfy the Company's requirement for such buy-back, the trustees of The TOPSPension Scheme (the "Pension Fund") agreed to sell in the market 300,000 sharesat a price of 199.5 pence per share. Richard King, Kiran Shah and Jon Diver(all directors of the Company) are interested in the Pension Fund by reason ofbeing trustees and beneficiaries of the Pension Fund. Following this sale, theinterests of the three directors are as follows: Number of ordinary % of issued shares of 5p each share capitalDirector (excluding ("Ordinary Shares") treasury shares) R. King 1 3,845,428 8.57%K.P. Shah 2 5,645,000 12.58%J.J. Diver 1,690,640 3.77% The Trustees of the TOPS pension fund 3 425,000 0.95%Orbis Pension Trustees Limited 4 285,000 0.64% Notes: 1. included in the interests of R. King are his interests in1,885,428 Ordinary Shares/voting rights held by Cedarberg Investments Limitedand 320,000 Ordinary Shares/voting rights held by his spouse, Mrs M.H. King; 2. included in the interests of K.P. Shah are the interests ofSarissa Holdings Limited in 5,620,000 Ordinary Shares/voting rights; 3. each of R. King, K.P. Shah and J.J. Diver are beneficiaries underthese pension scheme arrangements and are each, accordingly, interested in thepension scheme's holding of Ordinary Shares/voting rights; 4. Orbis Pension Trustees Limited is the Trustee of the Company'sEmployee Share Ownership Trust. Each of R. King, K.P. Shah, and J.J. Diver isdeemed to be interested in such Ordinary Shares/voting rights by virtue of beingwithin the class of beneficiaries defined by such Trust. Following these transactions, the Company has 44,857,513 ordinary shares inissue (excluding 1,000,000 ordinary shares in the Company held in Treasury). The Directors will continue to monitor the position and will, if appropriate,make further purchases of the Company's own shares. Enquiries: The Character Group Plc Charles Stanley Securities Citigate Dewe Rogerson LtdRichard King / Kiran Shah Philip Davies Fiona Tooley Tel: 020 8949 5898 Tel: 020 7149 6000 Tel: 0121 455 8370 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange