Interim Results

Creightons PLC 20 November 2000 Creightons plc ('Creightons') Interim results for the 6 months ended 30 September 2000 Chairman's statement I am very pleased to report that in the 6-months ended 30 September 2000, the Group achieved an operating profit of £15,000 (1999: loss £812,000). This is the first profit to be reported by Creightons for some years and is in stark contrast to the significant and damaging losses and depletion of net assets of previous periods. This turnaround can be attributed, in no small measure, to the efforts of Mr William McIlroy, our new management team and our employees since the fundraising in March 2000. When I wrote to you in September 2000 to report our results for the year ended 31 March 2000, I reported that William McIlroy was executive vice chairman and Bernard Johnson was acting as general manager of the Group. Creightons former management team had effectively withdrawn from its management role after making a management buy-out proposal in February 2000. In the absence of the former management team, it became clear that drastic steps could be taken to reduce head office and general overheads, as well as streamlining the overall management of the business. Much has been achieved in all of these areas. We now have only one executive director, the aforementioned William McIlroy, on the Board. As a representative of Oratorio Developments Limited, Creighton's largest shareholder, Mr McIlroy's interests are very much aligned to all of our shareholders. Mr McIlroy's primary task is to manage the implementation of the strategy approved by shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company in February 2000. Mr Johnson's role has been to streamline the production facility, review product profit margins with a view to shedding unprofitable lines and to re- establish customer relationships which have suffered as a result of the long term destabilisation and disruption of our manufacturing business. Whilst immediate steps can and have been taken to reduce costs, the process of improving sales and margins inevitably takes a little longer. Both sales levels and margins have improved steadily over the last 6-month period and we hope to be able to report an improvement in the current period. The most dramatic and obvious improvement is in overhead costs. These were £596,000 compared to £1,049,000 in the same period in 1999, a 43% reduction. There were also no 'exceptional' costs in the period. These costs seem to have become a feature in our accounts in previous periods. The net result was an operating profit of £15,000 (1999: loss £812,000). The placing and open offer in March 2000 enabled us to pay off overdue debts and reduce bank borrowing. The Board's strategy is clear. We will complete the streamlining of the business and, as reported in September, we are hoping to announce the sale of part of our freehold land at Storrington shortly in order to realise cash. At this point, it will be operating on a smaller site more appropriate to its requirements and its production facilities will be more efficiently organised. Whilst this process is continuing we will continue to seek out sound and attractive companies that might wish to reverse into the Creightons shell. I look forward to reporting our progress to you in the coming months. Roger Lane-Smith Chairman Independent Review Report to Creightons Plc Introduction We have been instructed by the company to review the financial information set out on pages 2 to 5 and we have read the other information contained in the interim report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial information. Directors' responsibilities The interim report, including the financial information contained therein, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the directors. The Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority require that the accounting policies and presentation applied to the interim figures should be consistent with those applied in preparing the preceding annual accounts, except where any changes, and the reasons for them, are disclosed. Review work performed We conducted our review in accordance with guidance contained in Bulletin 1999/4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. A review consists principally of making enquires of management and applying analytical procedures to the financial information and underlying financial data and based thereon, assessing whether the accounting policies and presentation have been consistently applied, unless otherwise disclosed. A review excludes audit procedures, such as tests of controls and verification of assets, liabilities and transactions. It is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with Auditing Standards and therefore provides a lower level of assurance than an audit. Accordingly we do not express an opinion on the financial information. Review conclusion On the basis of our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the financial information as presented for the six months ended 30 September 2000. Chantrey Vellacott DFK Chartered Accountants Date: 20 November 2000 CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT For the six months ended 30 September 2000 6 months to 6 months to Year ended 30 Sept 30 Sept 31 March 2000 1999 2000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover 2,449 2,646 5,214 Cost of sales (1,838) (1,962) (4,134) Exceptional cost of sales - - (273) Gross profit 611 684 807 Operating expenses (596) (1,049) (2,146) Exceptional operating - (447) (327) expenses Operating profit/(loss) 15 (812) (1,666) Net interest payable (76) (62) (159) Loss on ordinary activities and loss (61) (874) (1,825) sustained for the period Loss per share (0.1)p (4.4)p (8.5)p Loss per share before exceptional items - (2.1)p (5.7)p Loss per share on exceptional items - (2.3)p (2.8)p Fully diluted loss per (0.1)p (4.4)p (8.5)p share CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET As at 30 September 2000 30 Sept 30 Sept 31 March 2000 1999 2000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Tangible assets 3,166 3,368 3,329 Current assets Stocks 622 898 806 Debtors 1,044 877 943 1,666 1,775 1,749 Creditors Amounts falling due (2,860) (3,340) (2,959) within 1 year Net current liabilities (1,194) (1,565) (1,210) Total assets less current 1,972 1,803 2,119 liabilities Creditors Amounts falling due after (365) (492) (451) more than one year Net assets 1,607 1,311 1,668 Capital and Reserves Called up share capital 517 3,975 4,294 Share premium account 1,185 196 1,185 Other reserves 38 38 38 Profit and loss account (133) (2,898) (3,849) £1,607 £1,311 £1,668 CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT 30 Sept 30 Sept 31 March 2000 1999 2000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Cash flow from operating activities 84 (217) (845) Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest paid (71) (55) (144) Interest element of finance lease (5) (7) (15) payments ____ ____ _____ (76) (62) (159) Taxation - - - (paid)/received Capital Expenditure Purchase of tangible fixed assets (13) (2) (156) Sale of tangible fixed assets - - 21 Cash outflow before ___ _____ ________ financing (5) (281) (1,139) Financing Repayments of amounts borrowed (67) (60) (125) Capital element of finance lease (25) (47) (92) payments Issue of share - - 1,308 capital (92) (107) 1,091 Increase/(Decrease) in cash (97) (388) (48) Decrease in cash (97) (388) (48) Cash outflow from repayment of debt 92 107 217 (5) (281) 169 New finance leases - - (54) Movement in net debt in period (5) (281) 115 Net debt at start of (1,876) (1,991) (1,991) period Net debt at end of (1,881) (2,272) (1,876) period Notes to the Interim Report 1. The interim report has been prepared using the same accounting policies as were used for the annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2000. The interim financial statements do not constitute statutory accounts and they are unaudited. They have, however, been reviewed by the auditors, whose report is included. Full year figures for the year ended 31 March 2000 have been extracted from the annual report and financial statements for that year which received an unqualified audit opinion and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. 2. The interim financial information has been prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors have prepared projected cash flow information for a period of 18 months from the date of this interim report . On the basis of these projections, the Directors consider that the Company and the Group will continue to operate within the facilities agreed with its bankers, which are repayable on demand, and that the going concern basis is appropriate. 3. Loss per share for the six months ended 30 September 2000 has been calculated on 51,691,307 shares being the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. The loss per share for the year ended 31 March 2000 and for the six months ended 30 September 1999 was calculated on 21,441,184 and 19,876,523 shares respectively, being the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. Fully diluted earnings per share is calculated by including dilutive share options. Since the remaining share option has an exercise price that is considerably higher than the market prices during the period, the fully diluted loss per share is the same as that calculated on an undiluted basis. 4. Following the Capital Reorganisation, the Deferred Shares of 19p each were cancelled by Court Order on 5 April 2000. The amount of share capital cancelled was £3,776,539. This sum was not available for return to shareholders, but instead has been credited to the profit and loss account of the Company in order to reduce the deficit in distributable reserves. 5. No taxation charge has been included in view of the loss sustained and the significant accumulated losses available from previous periods. 6. The interim report is being sent to shareholders. Further copies can be obtained from the Company's registered office, Unit 1, Water Lane Industrial Estate, Storrington, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 3DP.

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