Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
14 December 2004




Ashtead Group plc

14th December 2004

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                             Ordinary Shares of 10p

Ashtead Group plc announces it has today been advised by The Goldman Sachs Group
Inc., ('GS Inc') that as at 10th December 2004 it was interested in a total of
16,061,332 (or 4.93%) of its shares comprising:

a)      an interest in 6,299,700 shares arose from the interest held by Goldman
Sachs & Co., a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of GS Inc, acting as custodian.
These shares are, or will be, registered in the name of Goldman Sachs Securities
(Nominees) Limited.

b)      an interest in 9,761,632 shares arose from a beneficial interest held by
Goldman Sachs International, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of GS Inc. These
shares are, or will be registered at CREST in account CREPTEMP.




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