RNS Number:1130S
Cox Insurance Holdings PLC
14 November 2003


14 November 2003


                         Cox Insurance Holdings Plc

          Cox Insurance Acquires High Street Broker; Bennetts UK

Cox Insurance Holdings Plc ('Cox') today announces the acquisition of Bennetts
UK Limited ('Bennetts') for a consideration of #4.475m (including the assumption
of #2.8m debt).  Bennetts is a high street personal lines broker with 20
branches providing motor, home and other personal insurance products. Bennetts
Head Office is in Worcester and its branches operate across the South of
England.

The Bennetts branches will be added to Cox's 21-strong insure-shop network,
creating the 6th largest high street broking operation in the UK. The combined
branch network will have over 117,000 policyholders with joint gross written
premiums in excess of #44m.

The consideration will be made up of #1.35m in cash and #3.12m in new Cox
Shares.  Application has been made to the UK Listing Authority and the London
Stock Exchange for a listing of 3,851,110 ordinary shares of 10p each of Cox
Insurance Holdings Plc to be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing
Authority and to trading on the London Stock Exchange.  The shares will rank
pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary share capital of
the Company.

Neil Utley, Chief Executive, Cox Insurance Holdings Plc said:

"The acquisition of Bennetts demonstrates our intention to grow our successful
broking division and our branch network in particular.  It has doubled the size
of our network and significantly increased our geographic footprint, making us a
major high street broker."


                                     -Ends-


For further enquiries please contact:

Cox Insurance Holdings Plc
Neil Utley, Chief Executive                                 01277 200111

Brunswick Group Limited
Rupert Young                                                07974 982428



Notes to editors:


Cox Insurance Holdings Plc

Cox Insurance Holdings Plc is a broad based, mature and fast developing player
in the UK retail insurance market, focusing on underwriting, broking and
insurance services.  Cox is the seventh largest motor insurer group in the UK
with over 1 million customers.  Insure-shop, Cox's branch network has grown from
6 branches to 21 via a series of acquisitions giving it a strong geographical
presence in the Midlands and Lincolnshire.  For further information visit Cox at
www.cox.co.uk


Bennetts UK Limited

The history of Bennetts UK Limited history can be traced back to 1948. The
company currently has 20 branches in the South of England/M4 corridor and also
has  administrative operations in Worcester, Southampton and Poole. The company
provides motor, home and  other personal insurance products together with a
small amount of commercial  vehicle business.




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