Exhibit 31

                                                                  CONFORMED COPY

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, Sally Blackden, a joint holder of shares in Professional Staff Plc,
registered number 2459997 ("the Company") hereby appoint any director of the
Company from time to time, severally, to be my true and lawful attorney
("Attorney") for me in my capacity as a shareholder of the Company and in my
name to sign, seal, execute and deliver any documents necessary to be completed
or signed by me as my Attorney shall think proper or desirable in connection
with the following:

(a)  the offer to be made by way of a Scheme of Arrangement under section 425 of
     the Companies Act 1985 by or on behalf of Bidco Limited, registered number
     4493380 ("Bidco") for the issued and to be issued share capital of the
     Company other than certain shares owned or controlled by Bidco, Lord
     Ashcroft, Benjamin Blackden and his immediate family and related trusts and
     Andrew Dixey ("the Transaction"); and

(b)  any other documents necessary or desirable to be completed, signed,
     executed and delivered in connection with the Transaction or as my Attorney
     shall think proper, expedient or desirable to be signed, completed or
     executed and delivered including but not limited to any shareholder
     resolution, any document required to be signed or executed by me in
     connection with the withdrawal of my joint holding of shares from the ADS
     programme, an irrevocable undertaking and an undertaking to be bound by the
     Scheme of Arrangement, and to do anything whatsoever in connection with the
     Transaction as fully and effectively as I could do personally if this Power
     of Attorney had not been made.

I hereby undertake to ratify whatever my Attorney shall do or cause to be done
hereunder and to indemnify my Attorney and keep my Attorney indemnified against
all claims, costs and expenses which my Attorney may suffer as a result thereof.

This Power of Attorney may be revoked at any time by notice in writing signed by
me addressed to the Company Secretary and handed to him or sent to or delivered
at the registered office of the Company at Buckland House, Waterside Drive,
Langley Business Park, Slough, Berkshire SL3 6EZ and shall, if not previously
revoked, cease to have effect six calendar months after the date on which it is
signed.

This Power of Attorney is governed by and is to be construed in accordance with
the laws of England and Wales and the appropriate court of law in England is to
have non-exclusive jurisdiction in relation to all matters, claims and disputes
arising out of or in connection with this Power of Attorney.

Dated      12 March             2003



Executed as a deed by           )
Sally Blackden                  )          S L Blackden
in the presence of:             )

Witness:          Anne Floyd

Address:          9 Layters Way, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SH7QZ

Occupation:       Housewife