Acquisition

Boot(Henry) PLC
01 September 2004

HENRY BOOT PLC



Increased Shareholding in Road Link (A69) Holdings Limited



Henry Boot PLC ('Henry Boot') is pleased to announce that it has agreed, through
its wholly-owned subsidiary company Henry Boot Construction (UK) Limited ('HBC
'), to increase its beneficial shareholding in Road Link (A69) Holdings Limited
('RLHL') from its existing 30.9% to a holding of 61.2%, by the acquisition of
6.8% of RLHL from AWG Project Investments Limited ('AWG') and 23.5% of RLHL from
Impregilo International Infrastructure NV ('Impregilo').



RLHL is a non-trading holding company for a wholly-owned trading subsidiary,
Road Link (A69) Limited ('RLL').  RLL is a company that was initially set up to
construct the Haltwhistle by-pass on the A69, and thereafter maintain the A69
trunk road from Carlisle to Newcastle for 30 years from April 1996, under the
Government's Private Finance Initiative.  The by-pass was successfully completed
ahead of programme in May 1997, and RLL's principal activity now is to maintain
the A69 trunk road on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport and the
Highways Agency.  HBC, Impregilo and AWG (through Morrison Construction Ltd),
were part of the original consortium of members that undertook the initial
contract.



Consideration payable in respect of the shareholdings to be acquired amounts to

£5,000,970 (five million nine hundred and seventy pounds), which will be settled
in cash.



Turnover of RLL for the year ended 31 March 2004 amounted to £9,056,982 - profit
before taxation was £4,635,951, and net assets of the business totalled
£3,522,664.  Net debt of RLL at that date was £7,167,335.



The transactions, on completion, will result in RLHL becoming a subsidiary of
HBC and, indirectly, of Henry Boot PLC.  Consequently, the future results of
RLHL will be consolidated into those of the Henry Boot Group.  The acquisition
is anticipated to enable HBC to increase its participation in the operating of
the DBFO (design, build, finance and operate) contract itself, and provide a
long-term source of future profitability.  The purchase from Impregilo was
completed on 27 August, and that from AWG is anticipated to complete shortly.



Enquiries to Mr. E.J. Boot, Group Managing Director - Tel: [phone].


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