Purchase of Own Securities

Northern Venture Trust PLC
21 February 2001

                  NORTHERN VENTURE TRUST PLC (THE 'Company')


                            PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES

The Company announces that on 21 February 2001 it purchased for cancellation
under an existing authority granted by shareholders 70,000 ordinary shares of
25p each in the market at a price of 100p, representing approximately 0.17 per
cent of the company's issued share capital. There remain 40,758,396 ordinary
shares in issue.