Statement re Court Ruling

Ashtead Group PLC
6 May 2003



Ashtead Group PLC's US subsidiary wins $15m damages award



Ashtead Group PLC announces that the North Carolina Business Court has issued a
ruling awarding its US subsidiary, Sunbelt Rentals, compensatory damages of
US$5m against Head & Engquist Equipment LLC ('H&E'), a competitor in the rental
of aerial work platforms and certain members of its staff. This amount was
trebled to US$15m pursuant to the provisions of the North Carolina Unfair Trade
Practices Act. Sunbelt was also invited to petition the Court for recovery of
its attorneys' fees. The events subject to litigation date back to shortly prior
to Sunbelt's June 2000 acquisition of BET USA when H&E and the individual
defendants executed a plan to develop its aerial work platform rental business
by raiding over 100 staff from the BPS division of BET USA, including two of its
regional managers, six branch managers, and a significant number of branch staff
and using them to open competing aerial work platform rental stores in seven
major markets served by BPS. The defendants have the right to appeal the Court's
decision.



Contacts:
 
George Burnett     )                    01372 362300
Ian Robson         )




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