Purchase of Own Securities

Compass Group PLC
27 February 2003

27 February 2003



                               Compass Group PLC

                    Purchase of own shares for cancellation



Compass Group PLC announces that on 27 February 2003 it purchased for
cancellation 1,380,000 ordinary shares at a price of 271.36 pence per share
through Merrill Lynch International



Enquiries

Cathi Lawrence

Compass Group PLC

01932 573 000


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