BPCC PLANNING SALE OF PACKAGING OPERATIONS
The British Printing and Communication
Corp Plc<BPL.L> is considering selling its specialist packaging
and labelling operations, a spokeswoman said.
    She gave no dates or prices for the transaction but said
the units would be sold by negotiation.
    She declined to give any turnover or profit figures for the
packaging and labelling operations, beyond saying that they
were very profitable. They formed a self-contained part of the
overall group, she said.
    Analysts said the packaging and labelling division could be
sold for up to 150 mln stg.
    Earlier this week group chairman Robert Maxwell also said
it expected to float its Mirror group newspaper subsidiary,
bought from  Reed International Plc <REED.L> for 100 mln stg in
1984.
    The spokeswoman said that BPCC intended to keep a majority
share in the newspaper group if it was floated.
    BPCC is currently locked in legal battles resulting from
its attempt to take over U.S. Publisher Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich Inc <HBJ>. Earlier this week, BPCC launched a
two-for-three rights issue to raise 640 mln stg and said the
money raised would enable it to renew its assault on Harcourt.
It has also expressed interest in Dutch publisher Kluwer NV
<KLUW.AS>.
 REUTER
