Holding(s) in Company

Smith WH PLC
22 August 2003


                  DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)   NAME OF COMPANY
WH SMITH PLC


2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST
THE TRUSTEES OF BT PENSION SCHEME 
BRITEL FUND TRUSTEES LIMITED


3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18
SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 22 AUGUST 2003


4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.
SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 22 AUGUST 2003


5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.
N/A


6)   Percentage of issued Class


7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
N/A


8)   Percentage of issued Class


9)   Class of security
ORDINARY SHARES OF 55 5/9 PENCE EACH


10)  Date of transaction
N/A


11)  Date company informed
22 AUGUST 2003


12)  Total holding following this notification
8,032,104

               
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
3.207%


14)  Any additional information



15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries
C A WHITE [phone]


16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification
I HOUGHTON

     Date of Notification
22 AUGUST 2003


Letter to W H Smith PLC
Dated     August 22, 2003

                  DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL INTEREST IN SHARES

                    COMPANIES ACT 1985     SECTION 198

Issued Capital:     250,437,430

As at August 15, 2003 the following entities had a material interest(s) in 
shares of:     W H Smith PLC

The Trustees of BT Pension Scheme
BriTel Fund Trustees Limited

Registered Holders:     BriTel Fund Nominees Ltd     662,905 shares    0.265%
                        Chase Nominees Ltd (note)  7,369,199 shares    2.943%

Amount of shares on loan/returned:                         0 shares    0.000%

                        Direct Holding:            8,032,104 shares    3.207%

NB. Amount of shares on loan are deducted from Britel's holding, to amount to 
the direct holding.

Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited, Hermes Investment Management Limited, as 
general partners of the
UK Small Companies Focus Fund (SCFF)
Hermes SLP Limited as partners in SCFF

Registered Holder:      Chase Nominees Ltd         6,409,763 shares    2.559%

Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited and Hermes SLP Limited are both 
subsidiaries of Hermes Pensions Management Limited which is ultimately owned by 
BriTel Fund Trustees Limited, a company controlled by the trustees of the BT 
Pension Scheme.

Note: This notifiable interest arises either as controller of Hermes Focus Asset 
Management Limited and/or Hermes SLP Limited and/or as a partner in one or more 
of the partnerships.

Fax from Hermes Administration Services Limited.



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