| Number of shares 000s | £m | |
|---|---|---|
| At 1 January 2009 | 10,448 | 63 |
| Purchase of treasury shares | 2,200 | 13 |
| Release of treasury shares | (2,983) | (29) |
| At 31 December 2009 | 9,665 | 47 |
| Purchase of treasury shares | 8,000 | 77 |
| Contribution from subsidiaries | – | (6) |
| Release of treasury shares | (3,656) | (36) |
| At 31 December 2010 | 14,009 | 82 |
The company holds its own shares in trust to satisfy its obligations under its restricted share plans. These shares are treated as treasury shares for accounting purposes and have a par value of 25p per share. The nominal value of the company’s treasury shares amounts to £3.5m (2009: £2.4m). At 31 December 2010 the market value of the company’s treasury shares was £141.2m (2009: £86.1m).