Plus Markets this morning issued a lengthy riposte to activist shareholders who are waging war against the company's management following its decision to sell the stock exchange to interdealer broker Icap for £1.

The statement sets out a number of defences to accusations fired at the company by disgruntled shareholders who have felt they were "misled" over the health of the company and who have argued that the management ought to have informed them upon announcement of the formal sale process that the company would be closed were a bidder not found.