Disposals

Trinity Mirror PLC
01 October 2007


                   Trinity Mirror concludes disposal process                    


HIGHLIGHTS

• Racing Post sold for £170m to FL Partners

• Group to retain Midlands and remaining South East titles

• Disposal process raises £263m

• Net proceeds to be returned to shareholders

• Board confident that 2007 performance will be in line with expectations


Trinity Mirror plc announces today the sale of its Sports Division and the
decision to retain its assets in the Midlands and remaining assets in the South
East. This enables the Group to move forward with a more tightly focussed
portfolio of multi-platform media assets and to develop its technology-led
operating model for the Group as a whole.

The Group has agreed to sell its Sports Division, including the UK's premier
racing newspaper the Racing Post and the related racing and sports newspapers
and websites, for £170 million in cash representing a multiple of 3.4 x 2006
revenues and 11.2 x 2006 operating profit.

The business is being acquired by Stradbrook Acquisitions Limited, a company
established by FL Partners, an Irish investment boutique.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who founded the Racing Post
title in 1986 was informed of the sale. At his suggestion it has been agreed
that donations totalling £10 million will be made by Trinity Mirror to four
specified charities connected to the horse racing industry as a condition of the
transfer of a licence to use the Racing Post trademark.

As part of the sale, Trinity Mirror and Stradbrook Acquisitions have also
entered into various long term services agreements including printing,
distribution and IT.

In December 2006, following a review of all its businesses, the Board concluded
that in order to maximise shareholder value for the medium to long term it
should rationalise its portfolio of titles. The Review identified that the
Group's regional businesses in Scotland, the North of England, and Wales,
complemented by its well positioned UK wide digital assets and supported by the
strong cash flows of its national titles, represented the best opportunities for
growth.

As a result it also identified that its regional businesses in the Midlands and
London and the South East, and the Sports Division were potential candidates for
disposal. The Board subsequently engaged investment banking advisers to procure
offers for the businesses.

At the start of this process, the Board considered that these assets would be
worth more to other parties than to Trinity Mirror. However, ultimately it
became clear that offers received for some of the Group's assets did not reflect
the Board's assessment of their true value, their earnings potential or the
strong positions they hold in their particular markets.

The Board has therefore decided to retain its business in the Midlands and the
two remaining businesses in the South East. The Board is clear that this
decision will deliver greater value to shareholders than a sale in current
market conditions.

The management of the businesses being retained will focus on opportunities to
develop the portfolio both in print and digital to support the Group's strategy
of building a multi-platform media business. These businesses will also now
benefit from being fully integrated into the Group's new technology-led
operating model, which will enable them to reduce costs and explore additional
revenue earning opportunities.

The overall disposal programme will raise a total of £263 million from the sale
of seven businesses in London and the South East and the Sports Division. The
Board intends to return to shareholders surplus capital arising from the
disposals, net of related transaction costs and such pension payments as are
necessary. We do not envisage a tax liability on these disposals.

The amount, mechanism and timing for returning capital will be confirmed once we
have appropriate clearance from the Pensions' Regulator and agreement of the
pension trustees on the amount of contribution towards the funding of the
deficits on the Group's defined benefit pension schemes. These discussions are
expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter.

As indicated at the time of our Interim announcement in August 2007, the Board
remains confident that our 2007 performance will be in line with expectations.

Sly Bailey, Trinity Mirror Chief Executive, commented: 'We believe it is now
right to bring our disposal process to a close. The process will enable Trinity
Mirror to go forward as a more tightly focussed media group, which is nimbler
and more able to respond to the opportunities in its markets. It has also
released a significant amount of capital, which we intend to return to
shareholders.

'Throughout this process we made it clear that we were not prepared to sell our
high quality media assets at any price. It is clear to us that offers for the
businesses we are retaining in the Midlands and the South East did not reflect
their true value. Conditions in the debt markets have inevitably impacted on the
positions of potential bidders.

'We have therefore chosen to retain these businesses and to develop their market
positions in both print and digital. They will also benefit from our new
technology-led operating model, which is already having a significant impact on
the profitability and performance of other Group businesses.'

Trinity Mirror was advised by Rothschild in connection with this process.


Further enquiries:

Trinity Mirror
Vijay Vaghela, Group Finance Director                  020 7293 3000
Nick Fullagar, Director of Corporate Communications    020 7293 3622

Maitland
Neil Bennett                                           020 7379 5151
Tom Siveyer



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