RNS Number:0623Q
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe
23 September 2003

FORM 8.1/8.3

Lodge with a RIS or Newstrack and the Takeover Panel. Use separate form for each
class of securities in which dealings have been made.

                     Date of disclosure                23/09/03.................

DISCLOSURE UNDER RULES 8.1(a), 8.1(b)(i) AND 8.3
OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS


Date of dealing                     22/09/03



Dealing in              Eldridge Pope & Co Plc................(name of company)



(1)   Class of securities (eg ordinary shares)   ordinary shares...............
......................


(2)   Amount bought                  Amount sold                  Price per unit




In addition, Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (and affiliates) have undertaken certain
CFD and Spreadbet transactions (see below).



(3)   Resultant total of the same class owned or controlled

        (and percentage of  class)          675,000 shares *  (2.75%)



(4)     Party making disclosure      Cantor Fitzgerald Europe.................



(5)   EITHER     (a) Name of purchaser/vendor (Note 1) Cantor Fitzgerald Europe
........................

        OR              (b) If dealing for discretionary client(s), name of fund
management organisation

        ......................................................................
.....................................................



(6)   Reason for disclosure (Note 2)

        (a)   associate of   (i)    offeror (Note 3)          NO

                             (ii)   offeree company           NO



        Specify which category or categories of associate (1-8 overleaf)



        If category (8), explain .............................................
....................................................

        ......................................................................
.......................................................



        (b)   Rule 8.3 (ie disclosure because of ownership or control of 1% or
more of the class of relevant securities dealt in)                YES



Signed, for and on behalf of the party named in (4) above .....................
........................................



(Also print name of signatory)          Ross Tanton...................



Telephone and extension number     020 7894 7214..............................

                     ______________________________________

              *In addition, Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (and affiliates) are party
to certain CFDs and Spreadbets ( see below)



Note 1. Specify owner, not nominee or vehicle company. If relevant, also
identify controller of owner, eg where an owner normally acts on instructions of
a controller.

Note 2. Disclosure might be made for more than one reason; if so, state all
reasons.

Note 3. Specify which offeror if there is more than one.

Note 4. When an arrangement exists with any offeror, with the offeree company or
with an associate of any offeror or of the offeree company in relation to
relevant securities, details of such arrangement must be disclosed, as required
by Note 6 on Rule 8.

Note 5. It may be necessary, particularly when disclosing derivative
transactions, to append a sheet to this disclosure form so that all relevant
information can be given.    .-see attached

Note 6. In the case of an average price bargain, each underlying trade should be
disclosed.

For full details of disclosure requirements, see Rule 8 of the Code. If in
doubt, contact the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, Monitoring Section, Tel. No:
020 7638 0129. E-mail:monitoring@disclosure.org.uk

                                          Date of Disclosure: September 23, 2003

Form 8 Enclosure


Cantor Fitzgerald Europe is the beneficial owner of 675,000 Eldridge Pope & Co
Plc ordinary shares.  660,000 of these shares are held to hedge Contract for
Differences ("CFD") positions for clients and 10,000 of these shares are held to
hedge Spreadbet positions between Cantor Index Limited and other clients.



A Long CFD is a product where the client to whom the product is sold is taking a
long economic interest in the underlying share price such that the client can
realise a gain if the price of the underlying securities rises above the
reference price.



A Spread Bet is a product where the client to whom the product is sold can
realise a gain or a loss depending on whether the price of the underlying
security increases above or falls below the reference price.  The client's
Spread bet position is described as his "stake".  A "stake" is expressed in
pounds (sterling) per "point" and a "point" is the price in pence of the
underlying shares.  A client with a "stake" of #100 per point will make a gain
of #100 for every penny increase in the underlying shares and he/she has an
exposure equivalent to 10,000 shares.



A purchaser of a Spread Bet or a CFD contract will realise a gain if the price
of the underlying security goes up. A seller of a Spread Bet or a CFD contract
will realise a gain if the price of the underlying security goes down.



There are no written or oral agreements between Cantor Fitzgerald Europe and any
clients concerning the control of voting rights in relation to the underlying
shares used to hedge the CFDs and Spreadbets.



The CFD contracts are open-ended and there is no rollover into new contracts

  Contracts for                                  Date of  Disclosure:  23-Sep-03          
  Differences                                                         
                                                                              
  Eldridge Pope                    Cantor                  Reference          
  & Co Plc                     Fitzgerald     Underlying      Price           
                                                Number                        
  Product Name          Date     Buy/Sell    Of Shares       (pence)          
                   Executed                                                   

  Eldridge Pope      May 16,         Sell        10,000          192          
  & Co Plc,            2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell        40,000       167.25          
  & Co Plc,        18, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    
  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell       165,000     168.4545          
  & Co Plc,        21, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell       175,000     174.7143          
  & Co Plc,        26, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell        35,000        173.5          
  & Co Plc,        27, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell        60,000        173.5          
  & Co Plc,        28, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope    September         Sell        50,000          170          
  & Co Plc,         9, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope    September         Sell       100,000          170          
  & Co Plc,        10, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    

  Eldridge Pope    September         Sell        25,000          170          
  & Co Plc,        22, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    
                                                660,000                       


  CFDs Closed out                                                                         
  22-Sep-03       Open Date                               Open Price     Close
                                                                        Price 

  Eldridge Pope       August         Sell        25,000          168      170 
  & Co Plc,        15, 2003                                                   
  Long CFD                                                                    


  Spread Bets                      Cantor                  Reference          
  Eldridge Pope                Fitzgerald      Stake - #      Price           
  & Co Plc                                   per Point                        
  Expiry Date           Date     Buy/Sell    1 Point = 1     (pence)          
                   Executed                      pence                        

  16-Dec-03        September         Sell           100          173          
                   15, 2003                                                   



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