Suspension of Buy BackProgram

Artisan (UK) PLC
1 February 2002


                                Artisan (UK) plc


                     Suspension of Share Buy Back Programme


The Board of Artisan announce that they are temporarily suspending the company's
share buy back programme commenced in December 2001. This is as a result of the
Company entering into discussions and having negotiated the terms of a potential
corporate transaction. The buy back programme will be suspended until such time
as the transaction is concluded or aborts.


To date the Company has purchased 3,850,000 of its ordinary shares at an average
price of 7.6p per share.


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