First day of dealings

Westminster Group PLC
21 June 2007







For Immediate Release                                              21 June 2007



                             WESTMINSTER GROUP PLC

              Admission to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)



                       Publication of Admission Document

                                      and

          Placing of 4,537,336 new Ordinary Shares at 67.5p per share





Westminster Group plc ('Westminster' or 'the Company') a supplier of system
solutions and products to the security, defence, fire protection and safety
markets worldwide, announces that it is applying for admission to AIM, a market
operated by the London Stock Exchange plc. It also announces the publication of
its AIM Admission Document and the Placing of 4,537,336 new Ordinary Shares in
the Company at 67.5 pence per share through J M Finn & Co Ltd, the Company's
nominated adviser and broker.



Placing Statistics



Issue Price:                                                           67.5p

Total number of shares being placed:                               4,537,336

Total number of shares in issue immediately following Admission:  13,572,336

Percentage of the enlarged share capital being placed:                 33.4%

Market Capitalisation at the issue price:                       £9.16million

Estimated net proceeds of the placing                            £2.5million



Business

Westminster's principal activity is the design, supply and ongoing support of
advanced technology security solutions. These can range from product only
assignments, such as the supply of specialised scanners, to the design and
implementation of an integrated system solution such as a border detection and
surveillance system. The majority of its customer base, by value, comprises
governments and government agencies, non governmental organisations and blue
chip commercial organisations.



In recent years the Company has devoted much of its efforts into building an
international presence. It currently has a network of some 60 agents and
distributors operating in over 40 countries. Westminster's principal markets
outside the UK are in the Middle East, the Far East and Africa.



The origins of the business date back to 1988 when Westminster Security Systems
Limited ('WSS') was formed to provide security systems and equipment to both the
domestic and commercial markets exclusively in the UK. In 1990 WSS was acquired
by the Menvier-Swain Group Plc and in 1996 WSS was the subject of a management
buyout led by Peter Fowler, the Company's current Chief Executive.



In 2000, WSS was sold, but the manufacturing business and assets were retained
and transferred to the Westminster Group. Since then the Directors of
Westminster have focussed the business on international security. Numerous
international incidents since the 9/11 disaster in 2001 have resulted in a
number of governments and businesses focussing much greater attention on
improving safety and security measures generally. In particular, certain
governments have significantly increased spending to better protect their
borders and infrastructure.



It is difficult to quantify accurately the value of the markets in which
Westminster operates; however the Directors believe that hundreds of billions of
USD are spent on security each year. It was estimated in 2004 that the private
security industry's turnover was between $100 and $120 billion worldwide and was
forecast to grow at a rate of 7-8% annually (Source: The Security Economy, OECD
2004).



The Directors believe that the market drivers for the global electronic security
market are the perceived threats of crime, insurrection and terrorism together
with a growing mobility of people and goods across the world. It has been widely
reported that these perceived threats have increased in recent years.



The Company's international network of some 60 agents operating in 40 countries
typically generates sales leads and work with Westminster in preparing the
required tender documentation. The majority of these agents are based in the
Middle East, the Far East and Africa where indigenous competition is limited and
the Directors believe that the reputation of British companies in the areas in
which Westminster operates remains strong.



The Directors consider that the operation of this network provides Westminster
with significant advantages in competing against often much larger companies. It
is the intention of the Directors to expand further this international network
and to increase direct marketing support in generating new business
opportunities.



The key differentiators of the Westminster business from its competitors are:

•         Its ability to evaluate swiftly the needs of clients and to provide
cost effective solutions based on a broad knowledge of the available products
and systems;

•         The Company's extensive agent network provides access to good local
knowledge and intelligence, in country logistic support, local and cost
effective labour resource and, crucially for many customers, a facility for
after sales engineering service support and back up; and

•         The Company's ability to offer a wide range of products within safety
and security, enabling it to provide a turnkey solution for each customer's
needs, an approach which is very appealing to Westminster's target market.



Current trading and prospects:

The Directors have been pleased with the increased level of enquiries and
tenders since the start of the current financial year. In recent months new
contract wins have been secured including the International Atomic Energy Agency
in Romania, the ECO Bank in Ghana, British Council offices in Beirut and the UAE
and BP in Algeria.



The £2.5million net proceeds of the Placing are intended to be used principally
for marketing, including the opening of a representative office in the UAE and,
in due course, India and Africa, and also to provide additional working capital.



Commenting on the flotation, Westminster's Chairman, Lt. Col. Sir Malcolm Ross,
currently Master of the Household to the Prince of Wales, said:



'The Company's Admission to AIM will not only enable us to access finance for
further growth, it will enhance the profile of the Group and very importantly,
will enable us to undertake some of the larger contracts for our international
customer base.'



Chief Executive and Founder, Peter Fowler added:



'Westminster's markets have grown significantly in recent years and its order
enquiries have risen in number in both terms of size and complexity. In recent
months new contract wins have been secured, further adding to the Company's '
blue chip' customer base. Our flotation on AIM will enable us to maximise the
opportunities open to us.'



                                     -Ends-

Enquiries:

Peter Fowler, Chief Executive
Westminster Group plc                          Tel: [phone]

Clive Carver
JM Finn & Co                                   Tel: [phone]

Tom Cooper/Paul Vann
Winningtons Financial                          Tel: [phone]
                                               Mob: [phone] or 07768 807631


                     


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange