£300M Disposal of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers

Trinity Mirror PLC
17 March 2000



                     Trinity Mirror plc ('Trinity Mirror')
                                       
             Sale of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Limited ('BTNL')

Trinity Mirror announces that it has reached agreement for the sale of BTNL,
and its immediate holding company TIH (Belfast), to Independent News & Media
(Northern Ireland) Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Independent News &
Media plc, 'Independent News & Media') for £300 million, subject to the
consent of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and notification to
the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the Republic of Ireland.

BTNL is the leading newspaper publisher in Northern Ireland whose flagship
titles are the Belfast Telegraph  and the Sunday Life.  The disposal of the
titles and assets of BTNL is required as a condition to the consent given by
the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the merger of Trinity plc and
the Mirror Group plc last year.

Trinity Mirror will receive cash of £300 million, less any indebtedness and
subject to adjustment reflecting working capital movements in BTNL between
signing and completion.  Trinity Mirror will receive the benefit of cash
generation up to completion, net of allowances for capital expenditure and
tax.  Trinity Mirror will use the proceeds from the sale of BTNL to repay debt
and for general corporate purposes.  BTNL generated unaudited operating
profits of £21 million (before management charges) in 1999 on unaudited
turnover of £54 million.  As at 2 January 2000 BTNL had unaudited net assets
of £135 million.

Application will be made to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for
the referral of the transaction to the Competition Commission and notification
will be made to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the
Republic of Ireland.  Completion of the transaction is not expected to take
place until the third quarter of this year.

Greenhill & Co. advised Trinity Mirror on this transaction.

Commenting on the disposal, Philip Graf, Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror
said:

'BTNL is a tremendous business and we are disappointed to have to sell it.
However, we believe Independent News & Media will provide an excellent home
for BTNL which will ensure the continued prosperity and integrity of the
business going forward.'

            
Enquiries :

Trinity Mirror plc
Philip Graf
0171 293 3000

Greenhill & Co.
Simon Borrows
Brian Cassin
0171 440 0400

Finsbury
Rupert Younger
James Leviton
0171 251 3801


Greenhill & Co. International Limited, which is regulated by The Securities
and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for Trinity Mirror and no one else in
connection with the disposal of BTNL and will not be responsible to anyone
other than Trinity Mirror for providing the protections afforded to customers
of Greenhill & Co. International Limited, nor providing advice in relation to
the disposal.