RNS Number:8802O
Soldier Limited
20 August 2003

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



                    RECOMMENDED REVISED INCREASED CASH OFFER
                                       by
                              KPMG Corporate Finance
                                  on behalf of
                          Soldier Limited ("Soldier")
                                      for
                            Hamleys plc ("Hamleys")

                        Compulsory acquisition of shares


On 4 August 2003, the board of Soldier announced that the Revised Increased
Offer had been declared unconditional in all respects.

The board of Soldier announces that, by 3.00 p.m. on 19 August 2003, valid
acceptances had been received in respect of, in aggregate, 22,522,290 Hamleys
Shares representing approximately 97.47 per cent. of the entire existing issued
ordinary share capital of Hamleys.

Accordingly, the board of Soldier has today commenced the procedure for the
compulsory acquisition of all outstanding Hamleys Shares under the provisions of
sections 428 to 430F of the Act. The statutory notices will be posted today to
Hamleys Shareholders who have not yet validly accepted the Revised Increased
Offer pursuant to section 429(4) of the Act. The compulsory acquisition
procedure is expected to be concluded on, or shortly after, 1 October 2003.

The Loan Note Alternative, under which a maximum of #5 million in nominal value
of Loan Notes was available, has now closed. Valid elections have been received
under the Revised Increased Offer in respect of #3,883,160 in nominal value of
Loan Notes and will be honoured in full. Accordingly, the balance of #1,116,840
will be available under the compulsory acquisition procedure to Hamleys
Shareholders who have not yet accepted the Revised Increased Offer.

The Revised Increased Offer will remain open for acceptance until further
notice. Hamleys Shareholders who have not yet accepted the Revised Increased
Offer and who wish to do so are strongly encouraged to take the necessary action
set out in the Revised Increased Offer document.

Words and expressions defined in the Original Offer Document dated 19 June 2003
and Revised Increased Offer document dated 17 July 2003 shall apply for the
purposes of this announcement.


Enquiries:

Gavin Anderson & Company                                 Tel: 020 7554 1400
Neil Bennett
Halldor Larusson

Soldier                                                  Tel: 020 7479 7313
John Watkinson

KPMG Corporate Finance                                   Tel: 020 7311 1000
David McCorquodale
Michael McDonagh



The availability of the Revised Increased Offer to persons not resident in the
UK may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdiction. Persons who are not
resident in the UK should obtain advice and observe any applicable requirements.
The Revised Increased Offer, including the Loan Note Alternative, is not being
made, directly or indirectly, in or into, or by use of the mails, or by any
means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission,
electronic mail, telex or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce, or of
any facility of a national securities exchange, of the United States, Canada,
Australia or Japan, and the Revised Increased Offer will not be capable of
acceptance by any such means, instrumentality or facility from within the United
States, Canada, Australia or Japan. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and
any other documents related to the Revised Increased Offer are not being, and
must not be, mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in or into the United
States, Canada, Australia or Japan and persons receiving such documents
(including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not distribute or send them
in, into or from such jurisdictions as doing so may invalidate any purported
acceptance of the Revised Increased Offer by persons in any such jurisdiction.

This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase or
subscribe for any securities.

KPMG Corporate Finance, a division of KPMG LLP which is authorised in the United
Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority for investment business activities,
is acting for Soldier as financial adviser in relation to the Revised Increased
Offer and is not acting for any other person in relation to such offer.  KPMG
Corporate Finance will not be responsible to anyone other than Soldier for
providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in
relation to the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement
referred to herein.


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

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