Rule 8.3 - ABBOT GROUP

FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
              (Rule 8.3 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers)


1.   KEY INFORMATION

Name of person dealing        BARCLAYS PLC
(Note 1)
Company dealt in              ABBOT GROUP
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.15
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               20 December 2007

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

                           Long                        Short

                     Number       (%)           Number       (%)

(1) Relevant      6,070,709     2.61%          836,920     0.36%
securities
(2) Derivatives     832,228     0.36%        1,671,263     0.72%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0     0.00%                0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total             6,902,937     2.97%        2,508,183     1.08%


(b)  Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
     than the class dealt in (Note 3)

Class of                    Long                     Short
relevant
security:

                  Number             (%)    Number            (%)

(1) Relevant
securities

(2) Derivatives
(other than
options)

(3) Options and
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total


(c)  Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

Class of relevant security:   Details



3.   DEALINGS (Note 4)

(a)  Purchases and sales

Purchase/sale Number of Securities Price per unit
                                   (GBP)
Purchase      1,514                3.7903
Purchase      250,943              3.7931
Purchase      15,268               3.7905
Purchase      94,714               3.7934
Purchase      15,268               3.7901
Purchase      98,390               3.7894
Purchase      64,000               3.7926
Purchase      293,232              3.7915
Purchase      308,500              3.7914
Purchase      15,268               3.7901
Purchase      34,614               3.7946
Purchase      293,232              3.7915
Sale          7,701                3.7975
Sale          34,614               3.7946
Sale          1,514                3.7900
Sale          15,268               3.7901
Sale          308,500              3.7914
Sale          250,943              3.7931
Sale          293,232              3.7915
Sale          15,268               3.7901
Sale          231,600              3.9000
Sale          64,000               3.7920
Sale          94,714               3.7934
Sale          98,390               3.7883


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name,      (Note 6)      (Note 7)              Unit (GBP)
e.g. CFD
CFD        Short         98390                 3.7894
CFD        Short         1514                  3.7903
CFD        Short         15268                 3.7905
CFD        Short         64000                 3.7926
CFD        Short         94714                 3.7933
CFD        Short         34614                 3.7945
CFD        Long          106                   3.7919
CFD        Long          896339                3.7932


(c)  Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i)  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product name,   Writing,          Number of          Exercise  Type, e.g.      Expiry   Option money
e.g. call       selling,          securities to      price     American,       date     paid/received
option          purchasing,       which the option             European etc.            per unit (GBP)
                varying etc.      relates (GBP)

(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g.  Number of           Exercise price per
call option         securities          unit (Note 5)




(d)  Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)


Nature of transaction Details           Price per unit
(Note 8)                                (if applicable)
                                        (Note 5)





4.   OTHER INFORMATION
None

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives


Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the
person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of
any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or
relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any
relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is
referenced.  If none, this should be stated.




Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         21 December 2007
Contact name                               BARCLAYS COMPLIANCE
Telephone number                           020 7116 2913
If a connected EFM, name of
offeree/offeror with which connected
If a connected EFM, state nature of
connection (Note 10)


Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk