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Costs of services and general and administrative costs - Additional Information (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credits relating to the release of excess provisions and other balances |  |  |  | £ 26.9 | £ 25.6 |  | £ 40.9 |
Goodwill impairment | [1] |  |  | 47.7 | 176.5 | [2] | 27.1 | [2]
Investment write-downs |  |  |  | 7.5 | 2.0 |  | 91.7 |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  |  | 153.5 | 265.5 |  | 56.8 |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  |  | 40.4 | 237.9 |  | 98.7 |
Litigation settlement |  |  |  | £ 16.8 |  |  |  |
Lease Term |  |  |  | 15 years |  |  |  |
Gain on sale of freehold property in New York | [3] |  |  | £ 7.9 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of freehold property |  |  |  | 159.0 |  |  |  |
Impairment charge on intangible assets |  |  |  | 26.5 | 89.1 |  | 6.0 |
Investor day in december two thousand and eighteen restructuring and transformation plan [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  | £ 212.3 |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs in relation to the continuing restructuring plan |  |  |  | 121.1 |  |  |  |
Transformation costs |  |  |  | 32.4 |  |  |  |
Costs arising from a structural assessment of operations [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  | £ 53.2 | 116.3 | 179.7 |  | 33.7 |
Transformation cost [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  |  | 37.2 | 85.8 |  |  |
IT services and infrastructure cost [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12.8 |
comScore Inc. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment write-downs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 53.1 |
Litigation settlement |  |  |  | 16.8 |  |  |  |
Globant S.A. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  |  | 28.6 | 185.3 |  |  |
Asatsu-DK Inc. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92.3 |
VMLY&R [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment |  |  |  |  | 142.8 |  |  |
Other business [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment |  |  |  | £ 47.7 | £ 176.5 |  | £ 27.1 |
[1] | Figures in 2018 have been restated, as described in the accounting policies.
[2] | Prior year figures have been re-presented in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, as described in the accounting policies.
[3] | Figures have been restated, as described in the accounting policies.

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