Director Shareholding

Allen PLC
24 August 2001



                            Allen Plc ('Company')



         NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS





On 23rd August 2001, Sanne Trust Company Limited (the 'Trustee'), the trustee
of the Allen Employee Benefits Trust (the 'Trust'), subscribed for 1,003,000
ordinary shares of 5p each in the Company ('Ordinary Shares') at a price of
231p per Ordinary Shares (being the closing mid market price of the Ordinary
Shares on 22 August 2001).



The Trust is a discretionary trust whose beneficiaries include all employees,
including directors, of the Company.



On 23rd August 2001, the Trustee granted nil cost options under the Allen Long
Term Incentive Plan to the directors stated below (as adopted at the Company's
Annual General Meeting on 23rd August 2001) to be exercised between the third
anniversary date of the grant until the tenth anniversary date of the grant,
if and to the extent that certain performance targets are met:


J E Brown                                                               200,000
S J Corcoran                                                            130,000
N C O'Brien                                                             120,000





 24 August 2001