Personal Group Regulatory News (PGH)

26 Jan 2005 10:41

Personal Group Holdings PLC26 January 2005 26 January 2005 Not for release, publication or distribution in or into or from the UnitedStates, Canada, Australia, Republic of Ireland or Japan or any otherjurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws ofsuch jurisdiction PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER (THE "OFFER") BY DURLACHER LIMITED ON BEHALF OF PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC ("PERSONAL GROUP ") FOR BERKELEY MORGAN GROUP PLC ("BERKELEY MORGAN ") COMPLUSORY ACQUISITION OF OUTSTANDING BERKELEY MORGAN SHARES Personal Group announces that at 3.00 p.m. on 21 January 2005, valid acceptanceshad been received in respect of 11,147,820 Berkeley Morgan Shares, representingapproximately 95.26 per cent. of Berkeley Morgan's issued share capital. Asvalid acceptances of the Offer have been received in respect of more than 90 percent.in value of the Berkeley Morgan Shares to which the Offer relates, PersonalGroup are accordingly issuing compulsory acquisition notices under section 429of the Companies Act 1985. These have been despatched today to the holders ofBerkeley Morgan Shares who have not accepted the Offer. Enquiries:Christopher Johnston, ChairmanJohn Barber, Financial DirectorPersonal Group Holdings Plc 01908 605000 Jonathan Retter/Marcus JacksonDurlacher Limited 020 7459 3600 Durlacher, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by theFinancial Services Authority, is acting for Personal Group and no-one else inconnection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other thanPersonal Group for providing the protections afforded to clients of Durlachernor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or in relation to the contentsof this announcement or any matter referred to herein. The Offer will not be made, directly or indirectly, and this announcement shouldnot be sent, in or into or from the United States, Canada, Australia, theRepublic of Ireland or Japan or by use of the mails of or by any means orinstrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex,telephone or e-mail) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facilities ofa national securities exchange of, any of these jurisdictions and doing so mayrender invalid any purported acceptance of the Offer. Accordingly, copies ofthis announcement and any other document relating to the Offer are not being,and must not be, marked or otherwise distributed or sent in or into the UnitedStates, Canada, Australia, the Republic of Ireland or Japan. Any person(including, without limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) who may havecontractual or legal obligations, or may otherwise intend, to forward thisannouncement to any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom should read therelevant provisions of the Offer Document before taking any action. The availability of the Offer to persons not resident in the United Kingdom maybe affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located.Persons who are (or who are nominees, custodians or trustees for) citizens,nationals or residents of countries outside the United Kingdom should informthemselves about and observe any applicable legal or regulatory requirements inrelation to this announcement and the Offer. This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of,an offer or an invitation to purchase any securities. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange