Purchase of Own Securities

City of London Investment Trust PLC
17 April 2000


Market Purchase by the Company of its own Ordinary Shares

The City of London Investment Trust plc hereby gives notification that, pursuant
to the authority granted to the Company at the Annual General Meeting on 4
November 1999 to make market purchases of the Company's own shares, a market
purchase of 25,000 ordinary shares of 25p each of the Company was made today at
a price of 220p per share.

Following the purchase and cancellation of the above shares, 210,249,303
ordinary shares of 25p each will remain in issue.

For further information, please contact:

Job Curtis/Alex Crooke
The City of London Investment Trust plc
Telephone:  [phone]

or 

Vicki Staveacre/Martin Wade
The Press Office
Henderson Investors
Telephone: [phone]