Purchase of Own Securities

19 December 2002

                                FirstGroup plc                                 

             Buyback of 1,144,700 ordinary shares for cancellation             

FirstGroup plc announces that on 19 December 2002 it purchased for cancellation
1,144,700 ordinary shares of 5p each at an average price of 226.8635p per
share.

Since FirstGroup plc started to buyback its ordinary shares on 7 June 2002 it
has repurchased for cancellation a total of 5,408,312 ordinary shares. There
are now 415,422,635 ordinary shares in issue.