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14 December 2005. Add four AP/Hertfordshire Police and two AP/Mingay photos.

13 December 2005. Thanks to A for pointing to the Northgate/MI5 connection.


http://www.northgate-is.com/press_centre/item.php?item_id=652

Statement regarding damage to Headquarters at Hemel Hempstead

12/12/2005 [Stock Exchange Announcements (RNS)]

NORTHGATE INFORMATION SOLUTIONS PLC Statement regarding damage to Headquarters at Hemel Hempstead

Business Continuity Plan Initiated

Northgate Information Solutions plc (www.northgate-is.com), the UK’s leading supplier of specialist software and IT services for the Human Resource and Public Service markets, has announced that its head office building has been seriously damaged as a result of yesterday’s explosion at Hemel Hempstead.

Four Northgate employees were on-site at the time of the explosion. They were all accounted for soon after the incident. Three were hospitalised as a result of their injuries but they have since been discharged.

The fabric of the building and the fixtures and equipment inside have been badly damaged. The back-up systems that were in place have also been rendered inoperable. Northgate’s ability to service its customers has therefore been temporarily affected. As a result, its well developed and previously rehearsed business continuity plan has been initiated. This will allow Northgate to restore its services using remote data centres and the other offices that Northgate has around the country.

Northgate’s financial exposure is limited by its insurance policies that provide sufficient cover for the building and its contents as well as for any business interruption. This allows the Board to be confident that the long-term impact of this incident is unlikely to be material.

For further media enquiries, please contact:

Brunswick Group LLP 0207 404 5959

Tom Buchanan/ Craig Breheny/ Phoebe Buckland

Note to Editors

Northgate Information Solutions (www.northgate-is.com), listed on the London Stock Exchange, is the UK’s leading supplier of specialist software and IT services for the human resource and public service markets.

The Group has three divisions – Human Resources, Public Service Applications and Managed Services – each with market leading positions. With 25 major UK offices, Northgate employs approximately 3,300 staff, has more than 2,700 large/medium customers and in excess of 6,000 small/medium customers in the UK and Ireland. It works with approximately 90% of UK local authorities, all UK police forces and is moving into the education market.


Board of Directors

* Nick Irens, aged 59, Non-Executive Chairman *

Mr Irens joined the Board as Non-Executive Chairman on 7 January 2000. He was previously Chairman of Cannons Group plc. He is a Non-Executive Director of Urbium plc and a Director of a number of other unlisted companies.

* Jack Fryer, aged 65, Non-Executive Director *

Mr Fryer was appointed a Non-Executive Director on 15 December 1999. He was previously with Marconi, Lucas Industries, Rank Xerox and Rolls Royce. He is also Chairman of Celoxica Limited.

* Chris Stone, aged 42, Chief Executive

Mr Stone was appointed a Director and Chief Executive on 31 October 1999. He was formerly with Accenture where he was an Associate Partner. He previously held senior management positions with Digital Equipment Corporation UK and EDS.

* Sir Stephen Lander, aged 58, Non-Executive Director *

Sir Stephen was appointed a Non-Executive Director on 29 January 2004. He was previously Director-General of the Security Service from 1996 until 2002. He also sits on the Board of HM Customs & Excise, and is an advisor to Detica Limited and De La Rue Limited.

* John Stier, aged 38, Group Finance Director and Company Secretary

Mr Stier was promoted to Group Finance Director on 15 May 2003. Prior to joining Northgate, he held senior financial positions with Thames Water plc and Shanks plc.

* David Hodgson, aged 49, Non-Executive Director

Mr Hodgson was appointed a Non-Executive Director on 27 May 2004. He is a Partner at General Atlantic Partners, the IT investment firm, which has an approximately 14% stake in Northgate. He serves as a Director of a number of public and private information technology companies.

* Malcolm Aldis, aged 52, Divisional Managing Director, Human Resources Systems Division

Mr Aldis was promoted to the Board on 27 May 2004. He has been Managing Director of Northgate's Human Resources Systems division since 1998, and has overseen the rapid growth of this division and the integration of RebusHR into the Group.

* Nick Starritt, aged 52, Non-Executive Director **

Mr Starritt was appointed a Non-Executive Director on 27 May 2004. His experience includes four years as the Group Vice-President of Human Resources for BP plc; he was also a Non-Executive Director of RebusHR before its acquisition by Northgate. He is European Managing Director of Sirota Consulting Limited.

* David Meaden, aged 44, Divisional Managing Director, Public Services Division

Mr Meaden was promoted to the Board on 27 May 2004. He has been Managing Director of Northgate's Public Services division since May 2001, with overall responsibility for Northgate's development in the local government and criminal justice markets.


http://www.northgate-is.com/company/offices_9.php

Regional Offices - HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (Head Office)

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (Head Office)
Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7HU
Tel: 01442 232424
Fax: 01442 256454

[Image]


Captions by Associated Press.
[Image]
[Northgate circled]

Flames and smoke rise from the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England in this picture taken Sunday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Monday Dec. 12, 2005. Firefighters attacked an inferno raging at the oil depot north of London, extinguishing half of the tank fires Monday morning with sprays of chemical foam. Hertfordshire Fire Service said crews had put out blazes at 10 of the 20 fuel tanks by midday. (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police)

[Image]
[Northgate circled]

Flames and smoke rise from the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England in this picture taken Sunday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Monday Dec. 12, 2005. Firefighters attacked an inferno raging at the oil depot north of London, extinguishing half of the tank fires Monday morning with sprays of chemical foam. Hertfordshire Fire Service said crews had put out blazes at 10 of the 20 fuel tanks by midday. (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police)

[Image]

[Northgate circled]

Flames and smoke rise from the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England in this picture taken Sunday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Monday Dec. 12, 2005. Firefighters attacked an inferno raging at the oil depot north of London, extinguishing half of the tank fires Monday morning with sprays of chemical foam. Hertfordshire Fire Service said crews had put out blazes at 10 of the 20 fuel tanks by midday. (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police)

[Image]
[Northgate in background.]

A firefighter at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, 40 km (25miles) north of London Tuesday Dec. 13, 2005, walks past wreckage caused by a blaze which has been raging for more than 48 hours. Firefighters on Tuesday battled the last three blazes at an oil depot inferno that has spewed thick smoke as far away as France. Health officials said tests indicated the cloud was not toxic. Roy Wilsher, chief fire officer in the county of Hertfordshire, told reporters that blazes at 17 tanks had been extinguished and the end of the firefighting effort was in sight. "It should be today," he told a news briefing Tuesday morning. (AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau/Pool)

[Image]
[Northgate]

A damaged building near to the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England is seen in this picture taken Monday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005. Police are talking to a tanker driver who may have accidentally ignited a fuel depot explosion that darkened skies across Britain and affected more than 20,000 workers, fire investigators said Wednesday, as a whistleblower called the facility a "ticking bomb." (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police)

[Image]

[Northgate parking lot at middle left, partly off photo.]

This is a plan of the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England issued by Hertfordshire Police Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005. Police are talking to a tanker driver who may have accidentally ignited a fuel depot explosion that darkened skies across Britain and affected more than 20,000 workers, fire investigators said Wednesday, as a whistleblower called the facility a "ticking bomb." (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police) ** NO SALES **

[Image]
[Northgate)

The wreckage of a building on the industrial site where the Buncefield oil depot is situated near Hemel Hempstead, 40 km (25 miles) north of London, Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005, after explosions detonated a fire on Sunday. Firefighters battled the last three blazes at an oil depot inferno that has spewed thick smoke as far away as France. Health officials said tests indicated the cloud was not toxic. (AP Photo/Jane Mingay)

[Image]

[Part of Northgate at left, orange brick.]

Smoke rises from the Buncefield oil depot situated near Hemel Hempstead, 40 km (25 miles) north of London, Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005, after explosions detonated a fire on Sunday. Firefighters battled the last three blazes at an oil depot inferno that has spewed thick smoke as far away as France. Health officials said tests indicated the cloud was not toxic. (AP Photo/Jane Mingay)

[Image]

Fires rages from fuel storage tanks at the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England in this picture taken Monday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005. Police are talking to a tanker driver who may have accidentally ignited a fuel depot explosion that darkened skies across Britain and affected more than 20,000 workers, fire investigators said Wednesday, as a whistleblower called the facility a "ticking bomb." (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police) ** NO SALES **

[Image]

A damaged building near to the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England is seen in this picture taken Monday and issued by Hertfordshire Police Wednesday Dec. 14, 2005. Police are talking to a tanker driver who may have accidentally ignited a fuel depot explosion that darkened skies across Britain and affected more than 20,000 workers, fire investigators said Wednesday, as a whistleblower called the facility a "ticking bomb." (AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police)

[Image]

Members of the British Emergency Services survey the scene near the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, 40 km (25 miles) north of London Tuesday Dec. 13, 2005. Firefighters on Tuesday battled the last three blazes at an oil depot inferno that has spewed thick smoke as far away as France. Health officials said tests indicated the cloud was not toxic. Roy Wilsher, chief fire officer in the county of Hertfordshire, told reporters that blazes at 17 tanks had been extinguished and the end of the firefighting effort was in sight. "It should be today," he told a news briefing Tuesday morning. (AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau/Pool)

[Image]

Damage caused to vehicles and property is seen near the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, England Tuesday Dec. 13, 2005, which has been burning for more than 48 hours. Firefighters on Tuesday battled the last three blazes at an oil depot inferno that has spewed thick smoke as far away as France. Health officials said tests indicated the cloud was not toxic. (AP Photo/ Chris Radburn, PA) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE **

[Image]

Smoke and flames continue to rise above the Buncefield fuel depot near Hemel Hempstead, England Monday Dec. 12, 2005. The fire started after several explosions rocked the area early on Sunday. Firefighters got permission Monday to begin using foam to attack the huge blaze at the oil depot north of London, following concerns that attempts to extinguish the fire could contaminate the water supply.( AP Photo/Tom Hevezi)

[Image]

Blast damage is seen at an industrial park near to the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, England, Tuesday Dec. 13, 2005. The blaze which has been raging at Buncefield oil depot for more than 48 hours could be out by lunchtime, it was predicted Tuesday by emergency services. (AP Photo/Chris Radburn/PA) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE **

Aerial photo purchased from Getmapping. Northgate circled.