Jas,
I learnt to fly in the USA and did my hour building there cos it's a lot cheaper. I did my ATPL studies with Bristol Ground School. I've got quite a few mates who are at London Met at the minute and they do speak highly of the course there. I must admit, I found distance learning tough, but couldn't speak more highly of Bristol Ground School.
If you have the ability to train full time, the whole process will take you about 18 months (Being realistic with weather delays etc) and if you use Stapleford, all in all the bill will come to roughly £40k. That includes all exam fees, flight tests etc. You'll need to find accommodation and living expenses on top of that as well.
You might want to have a look at the website
www.beapilot.co.uk. Those guys designed my training plan around my personal circumstances and I've acheived what I set out to do on time and on budget more or less.
DMK