Purchase of Own Securities

COLEFAX AND FOWLER GROUP PLC
25 August 1999


Colefax and Fowler Group plc ('Colefax' or the 'Company')
Notification of purchase of own securities

The board of Colefax announces that, pursuant to the passing by shareholders
of the resolution proposed at the Company's Annual General Meeting held on 18
September 1998 authorising the Company to repurchase shares, the Company
yesterday repurchased a total of 1,426,412 ordinary shares of 10 pence each
('Ordinary Shares') in the Company (the 'Buy-Back Shares') at a price of 90
pence per share.  The Buy-Back Shares represent approximately 5.0 per cent. of
the Company's existing issued share capital and will be cancelled following
the above repurchase, thereby reducing the issued share capital of the Company
to 27,101,827 Ordinary Shares.