Director Shareholding

British American Tobacco PLC
17 March 2003


DIRECTORS' INTERESTS

The independent trustee of the British American Tobacco Group Employee Trust
notified the Company on 17 March 2003 that it had on 14 March 2003
          
a)   released 164,625 British American Tobacco p.l.c. 25p ordinary shares (the 
     'Shares') to participants in the British American Tobacco Long Term
     Incentive Plan; and

b)   disposed of 19,463 Shares to participants in the British American Tobacco 
     Executive Share Option Scheme.

The participants to whom Shares were released or disposed of are not directors
of British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Following these transactions, the independent trustee of the British American
Tobacco Group Employee Trust holds a total of 33,040,389 Shares.  The following
executive directors, together with other employees, are potential beneficiaries
and are therefore treated as having an interest: Mr P N Adams, Mr M F Broughton,
Mr A Monteiro de Castro and Mr P A Rayner.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange