UMECO PLC 14 December 2005 UMECO plc ("UMECO" or the "Company") 14 December 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR TRANSMISSION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, ANDORRA, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CANADA, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HOLLAND, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN OR SWITZERLAND The release, distribution or transmission of this announcement in or into certain other jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in all jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, distributed or transmitted should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Successful placement of Rights Issue rump Following yesterday's announcement regarding valid acceptances in respect of 13,993,079 New Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 96.8 per cent. of the total number of New Ordinary Shares offered to shareholders under the 4 for 9 rights issue announced by UMECO plc ("UMECO") on 1 November 2005, UMECO now announces that Arbuthnot Securities Limited ("Arbuthnot") has procured subscribers for the remaining New Ordinary Shares, net of fractional entitlements, for which valid acceptances were not received, at a price of 450 pence per share. This amounts to 469,294 new ordinary shares. The net proceeds, after deduction of the Rights Issue subscription price of 350 pence per New Ordinary Share and relevant costs (including the expenses of procuring subscribers and any related value added tax), will be paid to shareholders that have not taken up their entitlements pro-rata to their lapsed provisional allotments, provided that individual amounts of less than £5.00 will not be paid to such persons but will be retained for the benefit of UMECO. Accordingly, sub-underwriters will not be required to subscribe for any New Ordinary Shares. Words and phrases used but not defined in this announcement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the UMECO prospectus dated 1 November 2005, unless the context requires otherwise. Enquiries: UMECO plc 01926 331 800 Clive Snowdon John Beaumont Arbuthnot Securities Limited 020 7012 2000 Andrew Fullerton Graham Swindells The Hogarth Partnership 020 7357 9477 John Olsen Barnaby Fry THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE, OR FORM PART OF, AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SUBSCRIBE FOR OR BUY ANY SECURITIES, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE, ISSUE OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ANY JURISDICTION IN CONTRAVENTION OF APPLICABLE LAW. OFFERS OR SOLICITATIONS OF OFFERS MAY ONLY BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE PROSPECTUS PUBLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RIGHTS ISSUE DATED 1 NOVEMBER 2005. Arbuthnot Securities Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting as sponsor, joint stockbroker and underwriter to UMECO and for no one else in relation to the Rights Issue. Arbuthnot will not be responsible to any persons other than UMECO for providing the protections afforded to customers of Arbuthnot, or for providing advice in relation to the Rights Issue or any other matters referred to in this announcement. This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in or into the United States, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Spain or Switzerland. The securities of UMECO have not been registered with, recommended, approved or disapproved by any US federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States or in any of the Excluded Territories. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange