No easy solution in end but managed to resolve this issue.
Basically clean install of mod-x with some selective db table migration seemed to fix it - no idea what brought the problem about though.
Cole
Weird as it may see, this is usually due to a cache issue. When you migrate a site from one server to the next, it is sometimes necessary to wipe out the files from the /assets/cache directory and start from scratch. Easiest way to do this is to wipe it out and upload the cache files provided in the MODx download. You also have to make sure that the correct permissions are set for the cache directory.
Jeff Whitfield
"I like my coffee hot and strong, like I like my women, hot and strong... with a spoon in them."