Transaction in Own Shares

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 25 March 2004,
shareholders granted the Company authority to purchase up to 34,590,754
ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased 1,000,000 ordinary shares
at a price of 91p per share. 1,000,000 ordinary shares have been purchased
under the current authority and the issued share capital after the cancellation
of shares repurchased will be 229,758,869.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares, a total of 74,041,250 shares have been repurchased.

12 May 2004