Director/PDMR Shareholding

2 October 2008

                               Ashtead Group plc                               

                            Directors Shareholding                             

Ashtead Group plc announces that following the partial vesting on 17 August
2008 of awards made under the Company's Performance Share Plan, on 1 October Mr
Dhaiwal exercised his entitlement to 60,175 shares at a price of 67p per share.

On 2 October Mr Dhaiwal sold 24,672 shares at 67p per share to the Company's
Employee Share Option Trust to raise the monies to fund his tax liability on
the exercise of the award.

Mr Dhaiwal continues to hold the balance of the share award and his total
beneficial holding is, therefore, now 365,849 ordinary shares (0.07% of the
Company's issued share capital).

Additionally Mr Dhaiwal conditionally holds 90,468 shares under the Company's
Performance Share Plan which have been registered in his name subject to
forfeiture in the event that the performance conditions attaching to the award
are not met.