DB and netstruggler - thank you, but It's not photo recovery we're after , it's the email account itself.
Have made several attempts using the automated process and failed. Managed to find a telephone contact number for Microsoft (08000418773) and struggled through an almost unintelligible conversation and was directed to an on-line keybooard 'conversation' with a real human being ! ! ! Eventually went through a complex series of Q&As and agreed to a paid-for process (when successful) which should be resolved, one way or the other, tomorrow ... fingers firmly crossed
