A CIDERMAKER, a rock star and a Viscount, all from Worcestershire and Herefordshire, have made it on to the prestigious Sunday Times 2004 Rich List.

However, Cecil Duckworth, the multi-millionaire owner of Worcester Rugby Club, had dropped off the 2004 list, having been a new entrant last year at number 976 with an estimated fortune of £30m.

Esmond Bulmer, aged 68, and the Bulmer family - who last year sold Hereford-based cider company, HP Bulmer, to Scottish and Newcastle for £165m - were a new entry on the 2004 list, in 470th place.

The family's fortune was estimated at £85m allowing for other assets and past dividends.

Fortune

Led Zeppelin rocker Robert Plant, aged 55, was also on the list - in 621st place - with a fortune of £65m.

A regular list-member, Plant, who lives in Shatterford, near Kidderminster, has seen his fortune grow £5m since 2003, after a re-released three-CD set of the super-band's 1972 USA tour went to No 1 in America last year.

But the richest person in the two counties, according to the Sunday Times 2004 Rich List, is Viscount Portman, aged 45, who has an estate in Herefordshire and a fortune of £1.2bn.

Ranked at number 24, the Viscount also owns the 110-acre Portman estate in central London, valued at £1.15bn, part of which is being redeveloped with apartments and shops, at a cost of £40m.

Also on the list was Jorgen Philip Sorensen, aged 65, who has risen nine places since last year, to 61st place. The head of security firm Group 4 Falck, based in Worcestershire, is worth £603m.