Purchase of Own Securities

Provident Financial PLC
20 September 2001



                   Provident Financial plc ('the Company)


Share repurchase


Provident Financial plc announces that, pursuant to the authority conferred at
the Annual General Meeting on 26 April 2001, on 19 September 2001 it purchased
275,000 Ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of 625p per share through
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein Securities Limited.  This purchase represents
0.11% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital and brings the aggregate
number of shares purchased by the Company since 18 September 2001 to 775,000.