Purchase of Own Securities

British Empire Sec & Gen Tst PLC
19 September 2002

British Empire Securities and General Trust p.l.c.

Share Buy Back

19 September 2002

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 December 2001,
shareholders granted the Company authority to purchase up to 26,094,605 ordinary
shares.

The Company announces that on 19 September 2002 it repurchased 425,000 ordinary
shares at a price of £1.645 per share. 13,700,000 ordinary shares have been
purchased under the current authority and the issued share capital after the
cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 161,380,089 ordinary shares.

Since 10 December 1998 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares, a total of 27,975,000 ordinary shares have been repurchased.


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