Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group plc

3rd January 2008

                               Ashtead Group plc                               

                            Ordinary Shares of 10p                             

Ashtead Group plc announces that it has today been advised that as at 3rd
January 2008 Aviva plc and its subsidiaries were directly interested in a total
of 20,781,798 shares (or 3.73% of its share capital), and indirectly interested
in 7,216,027 shares (of 1.29% of its share capital).