So after one of my frequent searches through the local classifieds I spotted someone selling some baskets (presumably from some building work) made from hardwood for the sum of £5 (no idea which wood type).
Now I don't have a van or anything I could just throw these into, so contacted the lovely seller who agreed for me to plug in my power saw on his drive so I could chop them to fit in my estate car. After about half an hours of sawing and prising apart I managed to break them down whilst doing the minimum damage so I could get them in my car and home.
Now there's a lot of work remaining to get the wood ready for re-use but this should keep me going in cheap DIY projects for a while! I'll probably do a blog on the best way to break them down when I get somewhere through it.