RNS Number:2125N
City & General Securities Limited
04 July 2003


NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR
FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES


                                                                    July 4, 2003

                            CITY & GENERAL SECURITIES LIMITED

                      RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER FOR COMPCO HOLDINGS PLC: 

                       Level of Acceptances and Extension of Offer

The board of City & General Securities announces that by 3.00 p.m. (London time)
on July 4, 2003, the first closing date of the Offer, valid acceptances of the
Offer had been received in respect of a total of 31,310,060 Compco Shares,
representing approximately 83.8 per cent. of the existing issued share capital
of Compco.

This total includes 19,388,097 Compco Shares, representing approximately 51.9
per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Compco, in respect of which
City & General Securities had received either undertakings or a letter of intent
to accept or procure acceptance of the Offer.  These undertakings and letter of
intent were received by City and General Securities from all the directors of
Compco and certain persons connected with them holding Compco Shares and certain
other Compco Shareholders between May 7, 2003, the date on which the Offer
Period commenced, and June 12, 2003, the date on which the Offer was announced.


Immediately prior to the commencement of the Offer Period, HBOS or persons
controlled by HBOS owned or controlled 655,964 Compco Shares, representing
approximately 1.8 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Compco.
Since the commencement of the Offer Period, HBOS or persons controlled by HBOS
acquired or agreed to acquire 16,000 Compco Shares, representing approximately
0.04 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Compco, such acquisition
not being connected with the Offer.  Valid acceptances of the Offer have been
received by City & General Securities in respect of all these Compco Shares and
they are included in the total above.


Save as disclosed in this announcement, neither City & General Securities nor
any party deemed to be acting in concert with City & General Securities held any
Compco Shares or rights over such shares immediately prior to the commencement
of the Offer Period nor have they acquired or agreed to acquire any Compco
Shares or rights over such shares since the commencement of the Offer Period.


The Offer has been extended and will remain open for acceptance until 3.00 p.m.
(London time) on July 18, 2003.


Terms defined in the Offer Document have the same meanings in this announcement.


Enquiries:

TULCHAN                                               Telephone: 020 7353 4200

Andrew Grant

David Trenchard

Merrill Lynch                                         Telephone: 020 7628 1000

Bob Wigley

Simon Fraser


The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia,
Canada, Japan or the United States.  Accordingly, copies of this announcement
are not being, and must not be, mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in, into
or from Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.  The availability of the
Offer to Compco Shareholders who are not resident in the United Kingdom may be
affected by the laws of relevant jurisdictions.  Compco Shareholders who are not
resident in the United Kingdom should inform themselves about and observe any
applicable requirements.


Merrill Lynch is acting exclusively for City & General Securities and no-one
else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other
than City & General Securities for providing the protections afforded to clients
of Merrill Lynch or for providing advice in relation to the Offer.


END


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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