Purchase of Own Securities

British Portfolio Trust PLC
19 February 2003

British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 19th February 2003 it
re-purchased, for cancellation, 66,000 Ordinary 1p Shares (representing 0.13% of
the issued Ordinary capital), at a price of 96p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of the re-purchased 66,000 Ordinary Shares is due on
24th February 2003 when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to
48,958,742 Ordinary 1p Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone]

19th February 2003






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