Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group plc

19 January 2010

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC                               

                            Ordinary Shares of 10p                             

Ashtead Group plc announces it has today been advised that on 15 January 2010
Aegon UK Group of Companies were directly interested in a total of 17,752,263
shares (or 3.53 % of its share capital) and indirectly interested in a total of
2,823,665 shares (or 0.56 % of its share capital).

Enquiries:

020 7726 9740

Eric Watkins