Purchase of Own Securities

Witan Inv Tst PLC
17 October 2000


                WITAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC


          Market Purchase of Company's Own Shares
                             
                             
Notification  is  given  that  pursuant  to  the  authority
granted at the Annual General Meeting held on 30 March 2000
to  make  market purchases of the Company's own  shares  of
25p, a market purchase of 2,000,000 ordinary shares of  25p
each in the capital of the Company was made yesterday at  a
price of 476p per share.

Following this purchase and cancellation there will be
351,682,244 shares in issue.

                             
For further information please contact :

James Budden
Witan Investment Trust plc
Telephone : [phone]

Norman Brown
Henderson Global Investors
Telephone: [phone]

Vicki Staveacre
Henderson Global Investors Press Office
Telephone: [phone]