Thorntons PLC - Holding in Company

RNS No 9289x
THRONTONS PLC



                    DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)  NAME OF COMPANY

THORNTONS PLC

2)  NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

MRS JEANETTA SANDRA HARCUS

3)  Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
    of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
    interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
    person's spouse or children under the age of 18

SPOUSE

4)  Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
    shares held by each of them.

DR ALFRED WILSON HARCUS 
MRS FIONA JEANETTA VAN NIEWKERK

5)  Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

6573

6)  ( 0.01%) of issued Class

7)  Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

N/A

8)  ( N/A %) of issued Class

9)  Class of security

ORDINARY 10P SHARES

10) Date of transaction

27-6-97

11) Date company informed

3/7/97

12) Total holding following this notification

2,896,459

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

4.45%

14) Any additional information

TRANSFER BY MRS VAN NIEWKERK TO TRUST WITH SHARES HELD BY HERSELF X DR HARCUS

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

R A COLE  01773 542384

16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making
    this notification

    Date of Notification....3/7/97..............


END