Purchase of Own Securities

British Portfolio Trust PLC
12 August 2002

British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 12th August 2002 it re-purchased,
for cancellation, 250,000 Ordinary 1p Shares (representing 0.57% of the issued
Ordinary capital), at a price of 108p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of the re-purchased 250,000 Ordinary Shares is due
on 15th August 2002 when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to
43,014,337 Ordinary 1p Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone]

As at 12th August 2002




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange