Purchase of Own Securities

British Empire Sec & Gen Tst PLC
30 September 2002

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

Share Buy Back

30 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 30 September 2002 it repurchased 1,300,000
ordinary shares at a price of £1.615 per share. 15,000,000 ordinary shares have
been purchased under the current authority and the issued share capital after
the cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 160,080,089 ordinary shares.

Since 10 December 1998 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares, a total of 29,275,000 ordinary shares have been repurchased.


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