Offer Update

Trinity Mirror PLC
23 November 2000


Not  for  release, publication or distribution in or into  the
United States, Canada, Japan or Australia

                               
                      Trinity Mirror plc
                               
           Recommended Cash Offer for Southnews plc
                               
             Acceptances of 67.1% Southnews Shares 
                  in addition to 24.8% holding
                               
                               
On  27 October 2000 the boards of Trinity Mirror and Southnews
announced  that they had reached agreement on the terms  of  a
recommended  cash  offer, to be made by  Greenhill  &  Co.  on
behalf  of Trinity Mirror Regionals, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of  Trinity  Mirror, for the whole of the  issued  and  to  be
issued  share capital of Southnews not already held by Trinity
Mirror Regionals.


Acceptances of the Offer and purchases during the offer period

Trinity  Mirror announces that, as at 3.00 pm on  22  November
2000  (being  the  first closing date of the  Offer),  Trinity
Mirror  Regionals  had  received valid acceptances  under  the
Offer  in  respect of a total of 15,602,054 Southnews  Shares,
representing approximately 67.1 per cent. of the issued  share
capital of Southnews.

Included  in the total above are acceptances, representing  in
aggregate  approximately 46.1 per cent. of  the  issued  share
capital of Southnews, received from:

(i)  Southnews Directors in accordance with the provisions  of
     the irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer given by 
     them in respect of their and their immediate families' and 
     family trusts'  holdings  totalling 2,396,184 Southnews 
     Shares, representing in aggregate, approximately, 10.3 per 
     cent. of Southnews' issued share capital; and

(ii) certain shareholders of Southnews in accordance with  the
     provisions of the irrevocable undertakings to accept the 
     Offer given  by  them  totalling  8,327,598  Southnews  
     Shares, representing in aggregate, approximately, 35.8 per 
     cent. of Southnews' issued share capital.

Since the commencement of the offer period on 27 October 2000,
Trinity  Mirror  Regionals  has acquired  5,755,183  Southnews
Shares   representing  approximately,  24.8   per   cent.   of
Southnews'  issued  share capital. Of  which,  1,735,913  were
acquired  from  certain  shareholders  of  Southnews  who  had
irrevocably undertaken to accept the Offer.

As  a result, Trinity Mirror Regionals has now acquired or has
acceptances  in  respect  of a total of  21,357,237  Southnews
Shares  representing  in  aggregate, approximately,  91.9  per
cent. of Southnews' issued share capital.

The  Offer  is  open for acceptance until further  notice  and
remains conditional, inter alia, on receiving the Secretary of
State for Trade and Industry's consent.

The  Loan  Note  Alternative will remain open  for  acceptance
until  3.00  pm on 6 December 2000.  Trinity Mirror  Regionals
reserves  the  right to close the Loan Note Alternative  after
such time and date without further notice.

Rights over Southnews Shares prior to the commencement of  the
offer period

As  at  26 October 2000 (the day prior to the commencement  of
the  offer  period), Trinity Mirror (deemed to  be  acting  in
concert with Trinity Mirror Regionals), was interested in  one
Southnews Share representing approximately, 0.000004 per cent.
of the issued share capital of Southnews.

Save as disclosed above, neither Trinity Mirror Regionals nor,
as far as Trinity Mirror Regionals is aware, any person acting
or  deemed  to  be  acting  in  concert  with  Trinity  Mirror
Regionals, owned or controlled any Southnews Shares (or rights
over  such  shares) immediately prior to 27 October  2000  or,
since  that  date,  has  acquired or agreed  to  acquire,  any
Southnews  Shares  (or  rights  over  such  shares)   and   no
acceptances of the Offer have been received from such  persons
acting  or deemed to be acting in concert with Trinity  Mirror
Regionals.

Definitions  used in the offer document dated 1 November  2000
shall, unless the context otherwise requires, apply throughout
this announcement.

Enquiries:

Trinity Mirror           020 7293 3000
Philip Graf              
Margaret Ewing           
                         
Greenhill & Co.          020 7440 0400
Simon Borrows            
Brian Cassin             
                         
Finsbury                 020 7251 3801
Rupert Younger           
James Leviton   
         

The  Directors of Trinity Mirror and the Directors of  Trinity
Mirror  Regionals  accept responsibility for  the  information
contained  in this announcement.  To the best of the knowledge
and  belief  of  the  Directors  of  Trinity  Mirror  and  the
Directors  of  Trinity Mirror Regionals (who  have  taken  all
reasonable  care  to  ensure  that  such  is  the  case),  the
information  contained in this announcement is  in  accordance
with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the
import of such information.

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

The  Offer (including the Loan Note Alternative) is not  being
made,  directly  or indirectly, in or into the United  States,
Canada,  Japan  or  Australia.  Accordingly,  copies  of  this
announcement  are  not  being, and  must  not  be,  mailed  or
otherwise distributed or sent into or from the United  States,
Canada, Japan or Australia.

The  Loan  Notes will not be listed on any stock exchange  and
have  not  been,  and  will  not  be,  registered  under   the
Securities  Act or under any relevant securities laws  of  any
state  of  the United States and the relevant clearances  have
not  been,  and  will  not be, obtained  from  the  regulatory
authority  of  any  province  or  territory  of  Canada.    In
addition,  no  prospectus in relation to the  Loan  Notes  has
been,  or will be, lodged with or registered by the Australian
Securities and Investments Commission and no steps have  been,
nor  will be, taken to enable the Loan Notes to be offered  in
compliance with the applicable securities laws of Japan or any
other country or jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.  The
Loan  Notes  will not be offered, sold, resold,  delivered  or
distributed,  directly or indirectly, in or  into  the  United
States,  Canada, Japan or Australia or any other  jurisdiction
if  to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws
in such jurisdiction.