Purchase of Own Securities

British Portfolio Trust PLC
23 May 2003


British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 23rd May 2003 it re-purchased, for
cancellation, 5,000 Ordinary 1p Shares (representing 0.01% of the issued
Ordinary capital), at a price of 104p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of the re-purchased 5,000 Ordinary Shares is due on
29th May 2003 when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to 48,069,542
Ordinary 1p Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram
Company Secretary
Tel: [phone]

23rd May 2003


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