Statement re Open Offer

RNS Number:6289A
Hartford Group PLC
02 September 2002

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



2 September 2002



                Hartford Group PLC ("Hartford" or "the Company")

                              Result of Open Offer



Hartford announces that the Open Offer to shareholders closed at 3.00 pm on 30
August 2002.

Of the 68,622,590 new Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Open Offer,
38,869,166 new Ordinary Shares (approximately 56.6 per cent.), representing the
entitlements of Prestbury Investment Holdings Limited, were placed firm by
Investec, 5,344,800 new Ordinary Shares were the subject of irrevocable
undertakings to take up entitlements under the Open Offer and 24,408,624 new
Ordinary Shares were placed subject to recall under the Open Offer. Including
those the subject of irrevocable undertakings valid applications in respect of
11,323,394 new Ordinary Shares (approximately 38.1 per cent.) have been received
from Qualifying Shareholders, and the remainder will be taken up by placees.

The Placing and the Open Offer remains conditional upon, inter alia, the passing
of the Resolution to be proposed at the extraordinary general meeting of the
Company to be held at 10.00 am on 3 September 2002, the Offer for Jamies Bars
PLC becoming or being declared unconditional in all respects and Admission.

As announced on 29 August 2002, valid acceptances of the Offer had been received
by 3.00 pm on 28 August 2002 in respect of 4,468,961 Jamies Shares, representing
approximately 62.3 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Jamies. The
Offer has been extended and will remain open until the second closing date at
3.00 pm on 11 September 2002. Jamies Shareholders who have not yet accepted the
Offer should complete and despatch their Forms of Acceptance as soon as
possible.

The expected timetable for Admission and commencement of dealings in the new
Ordinary Shares will be announced as soon as the Offer becomes or is declared
unconditional in all respects (save for Admission).



Terms defined in the Prospectus and the Offer Document, dated 7 August 2002,
have the same meaning in this press release unless the context otherwise
requires.

Enquiries:
Hartford Group plc

Stephen Thomas, Chairman                                         (020) 7334 4777

James Kowszun, Chief Executive

Investec Investment Banking                                      (020) 7597 5970

Simon Grafftey-Smith, Corporate Finance

Rupert Krefting, Corporate Broking

College Hill                                                     (020) 7457 2020

Justine Warren




Neither the Offer nor the Open Offer are being made directly or indirectly, in
or into the United States, or by use of the mails, or by any means or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national
securities exchange of the United States (or any area subject to its
jurisdiction or any political sub-division thereof), nor in Canada, Australia or
Japan. Accordingly, copies of this announcement are not being, and must not be,
mailed or otherwise distributed or sent into the United States, Canada,
Australia or Japan. The availability of the Offer to Jamies Shareholders or the
Open Offer to Qualifying Shareholders who are not resident in the United Kingdom
may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions, and such persons who
are not resident in the UK should inform themselves about and observe applicable
requirements. The new Ordinary Shares are not being registered under the United
States Securities Act 1933 (as amended) and the relevant exemptions are not
being obtained from the appropriate provincial authorities in Canada.

Investec Investment Banking, a division of Investec Bank (UK) Limited, which is
regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority is acting
for Hartford as financial adviser and no one else in connection with the Offer
and the Open Offer. Investec Investment Banking will not be responsible to
anyone other than Hartford for providing the protections afforded to clients of
Investec Investment Banking nor for giving advice in relation to the Offer or
the Open Offer


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

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