Ubsetfusmca Regulatory News (UMC)

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:

UMECO plc

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

 X

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:

 BT Pension Scheme Trustees Limited as trustee of the BT Pension Scheme. See Section 9 for further information.

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):

 Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached:

 12 January 2011

6. Date on which issuer notified:

13 January 2011

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

13%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights

Direct

Direct

Indirect

Direct

Indirect

 6,249,066

 6,249,066

 N/A

N/A

6,257,686

 N/A

 13.00

 0911607

GB0009116079

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate

Exercise/ConversionPeriod

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.

% of votingrights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exerciseprice

Expirationdate

Exercise/Conversionperiod

Number of votingrights instrumentrefers to

% of voting rights

Nominal

Delta

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

 6,257,686

 13.00

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

BT Pension Scheme Trustees Limited, as trustee of the BT Pension Scheme ("BTPS") is the parent undertaking of Britel Fund Nominees Limited and Britel Fund Trustees Limited, which is the parent undertaking of Hermes Fund Managers Limited ("HFML"). HFML is the parent undertaking of:

1. Hermes Equity Ownership Services Limited ("HEOS") (voting rights: 0.483%)*

2. Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited ("HFAM")** as General Partner of the following limited partnerships:

a. Hermes UK Specialist Focus Fund ("HUKSFF") (voting rights: 12.516%)***

* This notification is also being made in respect of HEOS, which is an indirect holder of shares for the purpose of DTR 5.2.1(h). The voting rights include the following: (i) all of the voting rights of the underlying clients of HEOS for whom it provides voting services; (ii) all of the voting rights attaching to the direct shareholding of BTPS; (iii) all of the voting rights attaching to shares managed by HIML; and (iv) the voting rights attaching to the direct shareholding of BTPS that are managed by HSL.

*** This notification is also being made in respect of HUKSFF, which has an individual notification obligation under DTR 5.1.

Please see Section 13 for further information.

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

 See comment in Section 13.

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

 See comment in Section 13.

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

 See comment in Section 13.

13. Additional information:

HIML hold the voting rights under a standing proxy contained in investment management agreements with various underying clients (which may include BTPS) for the purposes of DTR 5.2.1(h).

HEOS hold the voting rights under a standing proxy contained in agreements for the provision of voting services to various underlying clients for the purposes of DTR 5.2.1(h), which includes all of the shares owned directly by BTPS, all of the voting rights attaching to shares managed by HIML and the voting rights attaching to the direct shareholding of BTPS that are managed by HSL.

HFAM hold the voting rights as General Partner under a standing proxy contained in limited partnership agreements with various limited partnerships for the purposes of DTR 5.2.1(h).

All voting rights held on behalf of the above entities are aggregated for the purposes of DTR 5.2.1(e).

This disclosure is made by BT Pension Scheme Trustees Limited as trustee of the BT Pension Scheme, which is the ultimate parent undertaking for the purposes of DTR 5.2.1(e).

14. Contact name:

 Steven Bowers

15. Contact telephone number:

 01926 331800