Hi there, and thanks for the extra details.
I've been pleased with the neg and slide scanning I've done with my Canon MP970 printer/scanner/copier (about £180) - some of the results are here:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/mp970Its capabilities seem to fall between two of their flatbed scanners, the Canonscan 4400 (£60) and 8800F (£120) although it lacks their dust and dirt removal capabilities, which you may need if your negs haven't been cared for very well!
I've read many glowing reports of Epson's V700 (£350) and, for better results still, there's the Nikon Coolscan LS50 - a true film scanner (£550+). Both have implementations of the ICE system for scratches, dust and dirt removal, but cost much more than I wanted to spend!
As they were closer to my budget, I did also look the Plustek Opticfilm film scanner range but in the end opted for that Canon's simplicity and convenience over any improvement they might have given.
Hope that helps - do ask again if you find a possible purchase, and if you've other qs!
Peter
PS Seems you're just down the road from my hometown, Norwich.