I have heard good reviews about these guys:
AUTOFARM | Porsche Specialists For Over 35 Years - Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Cotswolds

It looks like they are pretty far south but perhaps they could give you a recommendation of a qualified Porsche shop near you. It's worth a phone call.

hood
 

Hi all
Have cracked it thanks to you guys.
It was EXACTLY what I told the two auto electricians , the switch in the hood latch housing !
I still need to get into it to either clean or replace it. Have tried levering the plate that houses the interior lights and the opening for the switch but it dont wanna move. Cant try too hard or I will snap it , is there a trick to taking it off ???
Thats the first time I have ( almost ) mended a car in 45 years , feels good :-)
Regards
Steve

Well done, Steve - feels good, doesn't it?

I just went and had a look at mine. If you pop out the lenses for the motion sensors you will find big torx screws underneath. I didn't try this myself, but I'm betting that removal of those screws will be the key to removing the housing and getting at the switch.

I didn't see anything about it on my manual but I will have a better look later when I get back home. If you don't have a Bentley manual then you really should look into getting one. I think they are about $70 but you see deals on them occasionally here on the forum.

hood
 

It does feel good buddy !!! I am off to buy some torq screwdrivers or a socket set , have no tools at all ( well I do have a hammer and a drill but bit heavy handed for this job !! )

Sears has this nice starter tool set that should keep you going for the first couple of months. It's also compact enough to carry in your car for emergencies.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/oshikuru/toolkit.jpg

Seriously though, when I first got the car I had a fair number of tools, but not a lot of metric and not of the quality that I considered Porsche-worthy. So, over the last couple of years it has become my companion hobby to scour ebay looking for deals on good used Snap-On and Craftsman tools and I have accumulated a surprisingly complete Boxster toolbox for much less than I would have paid off the truck. I could post or send pics if anyone is interested.

I also quickly saw the wisdom of buying some of the specialty tools that would not only make life much easier, but allow me to work without an assistant. Some of these that I would not be without are the remote cable operated hose clamp tool, the Motive power brake/clutch bleeder, and the Uview vacuum fill kit for the cooling system.

In four years the only thing my car has gone into the shop for was to have the headlights properly aimed. Everything else I have manged myself (with a big portion of the credit going to Pedro, JFP in PA, Maurice, and all the other people on this board who have been so helpful.)

About the Torx... buy screwdrivers if you want, but I prefer sockets. This isn't a tool to cheap out on, nor are hex bits. Crappy ones round out too easily and then you'll be using that drill to get the screw out. Also, get the security style Torx with the hole in the end - you will need them.

done
 

A final thanks for all your help guys , it is now done and works a treat. Only a 15 minute job , easy to do and lots of money saved !!
I will be back next time something goes wrong :-)