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               23 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       6,801,824     4.56%        131,749      0.09%
securities
(2) Derivatives      498,027     0.33%        204,635      0.14%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0     0.00%              0      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              7,299,851     4.90%         336,384     0.23%


(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      1,000                7.5700
Purchase      144                  7.6050
Purchase      2,000                7.6150
Purchase      3,311                7.6876
Purchase      1,500                7.5350
Purchase      24,530               7.7130
Purchase      400                  7.5700
Purchase      321                  7.5750
Purchase      1,500                7.5100
Purchase      9,739                7.7593
Purchase      3,311                7.6876
Purchase      22,815               8.1736
Purchase      1,325                7.5050
Purchase      8,456                9.1883
Purchase      43,094               7.6181
Purchase      62,284               7.7145
Sale          46,512               7.6277
Sale          7,211                8.8476
Sale          31,200               7.7733
Sale          26,891               7.7511
Sale          600                  7.8050
Sale          3,311                7.6876
Sale          486                  7.5750
Sale          2,746                7.7797
Sale          1,757                7.5263
Sale          9,310                7.7614
Sale          5,424                7.5750
Sale          321                  7.5750

NB: The below transactions which were previously disclosed have been cancelled
Deal Date    Purchase/Sale    Number of Securities     Price per unit (GBP)
22/01/2008   Purchase         5,203                    9.2350

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         43094         7.6181
CFD            Short         3311          7.6875
CFD            Short         24530         7.713
CFD            Short         62284         7.7145
CFD            Short         9739          7.7592
CFD            Long          1757          7.5263
CFD            Long          46512         7.6276
CFD            Long          26891         7.751
CFD            Long          9310          7.7613
CFD            Long          31200         7.7733
CFD            Long          2746          7.7796

(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                         24 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