Issue of Equity

British Portfolio Trust PLC
25 January 2002



For Immediate Release                                         25th January 2002



                          British Portfolio Trust plc

                          (Registered number 4223927)


On 12th December 2001, British Portfolio Trust plc ('Company') announced that
gross proceeds of £63,921,362 ('launch proceeds') were received pursuant to the
Loan Note Offers, the Placing and the Offer for Subscription ('Issue'), all as
described in the prospectus of the Company dated 2nd November 2001
('Prospectus'), of 42,617,490 ordinary shares of 1p each in the Company
('Ordinary Shares').


The Company has since been informed by Shopgoal Limited's registrars that
further elections amounting to £1.5m were received from holders of Loan Notes
issued by Shopgoal Limited but were not recorded owing to an administrative
error.


As a result, a further 1,000,000 Ordinary 1p shares have been issued today. The
launch proceeds, therefore, amounted to £65,421,362 and the Company's issued
share capital is now 43,617,490 ordinary shares.



Enquiries:

Simon White                020 7475 2700

Dresdner RCM Global Investors



Tessa Murray               020 7475 8861

Dresdner RCM Global Investors



Angus Gordon Lennox      020 7588 2828
Cazenove & Co. Ltd



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