Director Shareholding

Guinness Peat Group PLC
10 March 2005

Guinness Peat Group plc ("GPG") announces the grant of options on 9 March 2005
in accordance with its 2002 Executive Share Option Scheme over the ordinary 5p
shares of GPG ("GPG Shares") at an exercise price of 84.1 pence and exercisable
between 9 March 2008 and 9 March  2015 as follows:


Sir Ron Brierley                              400,000 Options

Graeme Cureton                              1,150,000 Options

Tony Gibbs                                    750,000 Options

Blake Nixon                                 1,250,000 Options

Gary Weiss                                  1,250,000 Options



Following this grant and in addition to the above these directors will hold
options over GPG Shares as follows:
                               Aggregate No of   Exercise prices between   Exercisable  between dates
                                      Options           (pence)

Sir Ron Brierley                     1,707,914        29.80 - 69.91           08/05/1999-23/04/2014
  
Graeme Cureton                       8,251,008        22.83 - 69.91           25/08/1998-23/04/2014

Tony Gibbs                           9,716,475        22.83 - 69.91           25/08/1998-23/04/2014

Blake Nixon                          6,442,989        29.80 - 69.91           08/05/1999-23/04/2014

Gary Weiss                           7,509,147        29.80 - 69.91           08/05/1999-23/04/2014



These directors currently hold the following interests in the securities of GPG:


                                                      GPG Shares      Convertible Loan Notes

Sir Ron Brierley                                      30,391,624                   1,966,789

Graeme Cureton                                           168,927                       -

Tony Gibbs                                             1,112,206                     913,433

Blake Nixon                                            6,505,052                         675

Gary Weiss                                             9,301,861                         -



Contact:

Richard Russell

Guinness Peat Group plc

Tel: [phone]



10 March 2005



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange END

RDSGUUWAWUPAGMU