Purchase of Own Securities

23 August 2002

                                FirstGroup plc                                 

              Buyback of 50,000 ordinary shares for cancellation               

FirstGroup plc announces that on 23 August 2002 it purchased for cancellation
50,000 ordinary shares of 5p each at an average price of 240p per share.

Since FirstGroup plc started to buyback its ordinary shares on 7 June 2002 it
has repurchased for cancellation a total of 1,325,000 ordinary shares leaving
418,505,947ordinary shares in issue.