AGM Statement

Secure Trust Banking Group PLC
25 May 2005


SECURE TRUST BANKING GROUP PLC


                      Arbuthnot Banking Group moves to AIM

At its AGM today, shareholders in Secure Trust Banking Group PLC (the 'Company'
and together with its subsidiaries, the 'Group') approved a special resolution
to change the Company's name to Arbuthnot Banking Group PLC with effect from 1
June 2005, in order to reflect the increasing importance of the Arbuthnot
Securities and Arbuthnot Latham businesses in the Group.  All other resolutions
proposed at the AGM were also duly passed.

At a Board Meeting preceding the AGM, the Directors resolved to move the
Company's listing from the London Stock Exchange's main market to the London
Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market ('AIM'), which offers less
prescriptive regulations and more entrepreneurial freedom to quoted companies
than the main market.  It also has the advantage of offering the increasing
number of private investors in the Company more favourable treatment in respect
of both inheritance tax and capital gains tax.  Application will be made for the
cancellation of the listing of the whole of the issued ordinary share capital of
the Company on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and the London
Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities and for the ordinary shares
to be admitted to trading on AIM.  It is expected that dealings in the ordinary
shares will commence on AIM on 27 June 2005, at which time the listing of the
Company's ordinary shares on the Official List and the London Stock Exchange's
main market will be cancelled.

Henry Angest, Chairman and Chief Executive, commented:

     'It is our view that over the last eight years, the regulatory climate in 
     the UK, in common with the trend in Europe, has become ever more burdensome 
     for business and free enterprise.  Political correctness, corporate 
     governance practices and Higgs in particular have made life for quoted 
     companies difficult and the freedom to manage has been severely restricted.  
     Small companies such as ours, which do not have the benefit of economies of 
     scale, suffer disproportionately more than larger groups.

     Regrettably, it appears to me that this suffocation of businesses by
     over-regulation is a trend that will not abate in the foreseeable future.  
     The result will be to reduce businesses to risk-averse bureaucracies, run 
     by committees.  Great companies are built by strong leaders and it comes as 
     no surprise to me that many of the best business brains are deserting the 
     quoted sector to join private equity firms, hedge funds or private 
     enterprise in general.  These developments do not bode well for London as 
     the second most important financial centre in the world.  If we lose the 
     spirit of entrepreneurship and free enterprise, the City will inevitably 
     decline in importance.

     Against this background, the less heavily regulated AIM has become the 
     market of choice for smaller companies.  A survey published recently by 
     Arbuthnot Securities confirmed that institutional investors consider AIM to 
     be a success story.  This is a positive trend and we welcome the greater 
     freedom which AIM will afford us.

     I am pleased to be able to report that trading in the first four months of 
     the year has been encouraging.  Whilst the Group's results continue to be 
     influenced by the extent and timing of corporate finance revenues, the 
     Directors nevertheless consider at the present time that the outlook for 
     the year is in line with expectations.'


                                                                     25 May 2005

Enquiries:

  Secure Trust Banking Group PLC                               020 7012 2400
  Henry Angest, Chairman and Chief Executive
  Stephen Lockley, Finance Director
  Andrew Salmon, Chief Operating Officer

  College Hill                                                 020 7457 2020
  Tony Friend
  Richard Pearson



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