Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group plc

26 January 2009

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC                               

                            Ordinary Shares of 10p                             

Ashtead Group plc announces it has today been advised that on 23 January 2009
Standard Life Investments Ltd were directly interested in a total of 34,016,686
shares (or 6.76% of its share capital) and indirectly interested in a total of
30,568,869 shares (or 6.07% of its share capital).

Enquiries:

020 7726 9740

Eric Watkins