Purchase of Own Securities

British Portfolio Trust PLC
12 March 2003

British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 12th March 2003 it re-purchased,
for cancellation, 30,000 Ordinary 1p Shares (representing 0.06% of the issued
Ordinary capital), at a price of 88p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of the re-purchased 30,000 Ordinary Shares is due on
17th March 2003 when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to
48,858,742 Ordinary 1p Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone]

12th March 2003



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