Settlement of Litigation

24 November 2005

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC                               

         HEAD & ENGQUIST SETTLES LITIGATION, SUNBELT TO RECEIVE $20.1M         

Ashtead Group PLC ('Ashtead'), the international equipment rental group serving
the construction, industrial and homeowner markets, announces that Head &
Engquist Equipment LLC ('H&E') and Ashtead's US subsidiary, Sunbelt Rentals
Inc. ('Sunbelt') have agreed to settle their outstanding litigation.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, H&E has agreed to pay to Sunbelt
the sum of $20,133,972.60 (approximately £11.7m) on or by Monday 28November and
Sunbelt has agreed to accept this amount in full settlement of the North
Carolina Court's original judgement in its favour. Payment of the settlement
continues to be secured by the $20.1m letter of credit H&E has lodged with the
Court which will be released once Sunbelt has received the settlement.

The events subject to litigation date back to 2000, in the period immediately
prior to Sunbelt's acquisition of BET USA, when H&E executed a plan to develop
its aerial work platform rental business by raiding over 100 staff from the BPS
division of BET USA, to open competing rental stores in seven major markets
served by BPS.

When received the judgement will be credited to the Group's income statement
for the year ending 30 April 2006 as an exceptional item and the monies
received will be applied to reduce borrowings under the Company's asset based
senior credit facility.

Contacts:

Ashtead                                                                        
                                                                               
Cob Stenham         Non-executive Chairman    020 7299 5562                    
                                                                               
George Burnett      Chief Executive        )                                   
                                                                               
Ian Robson          Finance Director       )  01372 362300                     
                                                                               
Maitland                                                                       
                                                                               
Brian Hudspith                                020 7379 5151