Purchase of Own Securities

British Empire Sec & Gen Tst PLC
20 June 2002


British Empire Securities and General Trust p.l.c.

Share Buy Back

20 June 2002

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 December 2001,
shareholders granted the Company authority to purchase up to 26,094,605 ordinary
shares.

The Company announces that on 19 June 2002 it repurchased 750,000 ordinary
shares at a price of £1.94 per share. 8,775,000 ordinary shares have been
purchased under the current authority and the issued share capital after the
cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 166,305,089 ordinary shares.

Since 10 December 1998 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares, a total of 23,050,000 ordinary shares have been repurchased.



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