Director Shareholding

British American Tobacco PLC
18 July 2003


DIRECTORS' INTERESTS

The independent trustee of the British American Tobacco Group Employee Trust
notified the Company on 18 July 2003 that it had on 17 July 2003 released 31,191
British American Tobacco p.l.c. 25p ordinary shares (the "Shares") to a
participant in the British American Tobacco Long Term Incentive Plan.  The
participant to whom shares was released is not a director of British American
Tobacco p.l.c.

Following this transaction, the independent trustee of the British American
Tobacco Group Employee Trust holds a total of 33,328,353 Shares.  The following
executive directors, together with other employees, are potential beneficiaries
and are therefore treated as having an interest: Mr P N Adams, Mr M F Broughton,
Mr P A Rayner and Mr A Monteiro de Castro.


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