Rule 8.3 - CLOSE BROS 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              CLOSE BROS GROUP
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.25
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               10 January 2008

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       6,483,501      4.35%       234,065      0.16%
securities
(2) Derivatives      649,018      0.44%         67,703     0.05%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0      0.00%             0      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              7,132,519      4.78%        301,768     0.20%


(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      2,602                9.8631
Purchase      6,055                9.8615
Purchase      4,477                9.7329
Purchase      1,518                9.7500
Purchase      3,445                9.8956
Purchase      13,413               9.9012
Purchase      691                  9.9100
Purchase      3,536                9.8330
Purchase      1,727                9.8464
Purchase      3,000                9.8133
Purchase      1,666                9.7861
Purchase      5,600                9.7825
Purchase      32,627               9.8667
Purchase      2,602                10.0800
Purchase      6,169                9.7689
Purchase      4,719                9.8528
Purchase      27,628               9.7919
Purchase      27,628               9.7919
Purchase      627                  9.9034
Purchase      4,600                9.6528
Purchase      3,445                9.8956
Purchase      4,597                9.8582
Purchase      1,247                9.9150
Purchase      8,444                10.1232
Purchase      1,361                9.7500
Sale          3,536                9.8321
Sale          4,597                9.8564
Sale          3,445                9.8956
Sale          13,413               9.9012
Sale          6,169                9.7679
Sale          4,477                9.7321
Sale          32,627               9.8667
Sale          4,719                9.8528
Sale          1,666                9.7861
Sale          3,445                9.8944
Sale          627                  9.9034
Sale          1,247                9.9140
Sale          1,727                9.8464
Sale          4,719                9.8528
Sale          691                  9.9100
Sale          27,628               9.7919
Sale          3,445                9.8956
Sale          2,602                9.8613
Sale          3,000                9.8133
Sale          2,602                10.0781
Sale          4,600                9.6528
Sale          32,627               9.8667
Sale          5,600                9.7825
Sale          3,366                9.7352
Sale          6,055                9.8596
Sale          8,444                10.1232
Sale          627                  9.9034
Sale          1,727                9.8464

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         4600          9.6527
CFD            Short         6169          9.7689
CFD            Short         1666          9.7861
CFD            Short         3000          9.8133
CFD            Short         3536          9.833
CFD            Short         9025          9.8528
CFD            Short         6055          9.8614
CFD            Short         2602          9.8631
CFD            Long          2602          10.078
CFD            Long          4477          9.732
CFD            Long          5600          9.7825
CFD            Long          1727          9.8463
CFD            Long          4719          9.8527
CFD            Long          4597          9.8563
CFD            Long          3445          9.8943
CFD            Long          13413         9.9012
CFD            Long          627           9.9033
CFD            Long          691           9.91
CFD            Long          1247          9.914

(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                         11 January 2008
Contact name                               Geoff Smith
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