Result of General Meeting

Ashtead Group plc

7 August 2008

                                   ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                               General Meeting Statement                           

Ashtead Group plc held a General Meeting at 10.00 am on Thursday 7 August 2008
in London.

The Board is pleased to confirm that the resolution placed before the meeting
was carried on a show of hands by the members.

RESOLUTION

 1. Authorise the Company, for the purposes of section 166 of the Companies Act
    1985, to make market purchases of ordinary shares of the Company up to a
    maximum number of 25,703,094 ordinary shares, representing 4.99 per cent.
    of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 10 July 2008.
   
The proxy votes were as follows:

FOR              AGAINST         ABSTENTIONS
294,486,006      78,575          65,101


Contacts:

Chris Cole Chairman 020 7299 5562

Geoff Drabble Chief executive 020 7726 9700

Brian Hudspith Maitland 020 7379 5151