Potential Disposal

Fuller,Smith&Turner PLC 18 December 2003 18 December 2003 Fuller Smith & Turner P.L.C. Potential Disposal of Hotel Site Fuller Smith & Turner P.L.C. ("Fuller's" or "the Company") announces that it has today entered into an option agreement with Tesco Stores Limited ("Tesco"), giving Tesco the option to acquire Fuller's freehold and leasehold interests in the Master Brewer Hotel site at Hillingdon, West London, for a total cash consideration of £18.5m. The option can be exercised by Tesco at any time within three years and obliges Tesco to apply for planning permission for, inter alia, a supermarket store on the site. If, however Tesco does not exercise the option, then Fuller's has the option to buy the freehold interests in the site that it currently leases from Tesco and some adjoining land currently owned by Tesco for £3.0m. In such circumstances, Fuller's will develop or dispose of the site as appropriate. The 105-bedroom Master Brewer Hotel has been trading on this site since1969. The net book value at, and profits in, the financial year ending 27 March 2003 were £5.3m and £0.3m respectively. In the event that the transaction does complete, an exceptional pre-tax profit of approximately £12.9m will be generated at the time, the majority of which is unlikely to give rise to a corporation tax liability under current legislation due to the anticipated availability of roll over relief. It is likely that the proceeds will be used to finance the Company's programme of pub acquisitions and share buy-backs. On the assumption that the proceeds are retained within the business, the disposal will be earnings enhancing. The planning process is complex and permission for a supermarket store cannot be guaranteed. Until such time as planning permission is received and the option exercised, it is the Company's intention to continue trading at the Master Brewer Hotel, which has a long-serving and loyal team of staff and management. As previously announced, Fuller's will be opening another 55-bedroom hotel in Hillingdon adjacent to the Red Lion Pub in the summer of 2004. - Ends - For further information, please contact: Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C Press Office 020 8996 2175/2198/2048 Mobile 07748 657854 Email: pr@fullers.co.uk Michael Turner, Chief Executive (Press) 020 8996 2048 Paul Clarke, Finance Director (Analysts) 020 8996 2048 Merlin Financial 020 7606 1244 Paul Downes Vanessa Maydon Mobile 07802 961 902 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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