Purchase of Own Securities

British Portfolio Trust PLC
20 August 2002

British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 20th August 2002 it re-purchased,
for cancellation, 677,753 Ordinary 1p Shares (representing 1.58% of the issued
Ordinary capital), at a price of 108p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of the re-purchased 677,753 Ordinary Shares is due
on 23rd August 2002 when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to
42,086,584 Ordinary 1p Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone]

As at 20th August 2002



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