Transfer of Treasury Shares

Ashtead Group plc

24 September 2009

                                     Ashtead Group plc
                                Transfer of Treasury Shares

Ashtead Group plc ("the Company") announces that on 23 September 2009, the
following ordinary shares were transferred from treasury stock for the purpose
of an employee exercise under the Company's Unapproved Share Option Scheme:

5,420 ordinary shares at 38.282 pence per share

Following the above transfer of treasury stock, the Company holds 49,981,592
ordinary shares as treasury shares. The total number of ordinary shares in
issue (excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 503,343,962.

This number (503,343,962) represents the total voting rights in the Company and
may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which
they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a
change to their interest in, Ashtead Group plc under the FSA's Disclosure and
Transparency Rules.

Enquiries:

Ashtead Group plc 
020 7726 9740
Eric Watkins