Transaction in Own Shares

British Portfolio Trust PLC
19 January 2004


British Portfolio Trust plc announces that on 19th January 2004 it purchased,
for cancellation, 34,500 Ordinary ranking 1p Shares (representing 0.07% of the
issued Ordinary Capital), at a price of 120p per Ordinary Share, and 14,200
Ordinary non ranking 1p Shares (representing 0.03% of the issued Ordinary
Capital), at a price of 118.5p per Ordinary Share.

Settlement and cancellation of both the purchased 34,500 Ordinary ranking Shares
and the purchased 14,200 Ordinary non ranking Shares is due on 22nd January 2004
when the issued share capital of the Trust will fall to 49,530,505 Ordinary 1p
Shares.

Enquiries:

P W I Ingram 
Company Secretary 
Tel: [phone] 

19th January 2004


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