At the Annual General Meeting in Birmingham today of Baggeridge Brick, the UK’s fourth largest brickmaker, the Chairman, Alexander Ward, will state:

“In my Statement in the Annual Report for 2001/2002, I referred to the stronger trading we enjoyed in the final quarter. I am pleased to report that this trend continued into the first quarter of our current year.

I also reported that a major investment programme is underway at Waresley to increase capacity of moulded stock bricks and I am pleased to report that the project is on schedule and that the new plant is in the final stages of commissioning.

Subject to wider economic and political uncertainties, the Board is confident that the current half year will show good progress against the comparable period last year.”