Banjo,
Given that your £50k is worth about $80k, what Flingwing207 said about value holds even more true.
It would be a good idea to mull over what Cabair said, though. As a 200TT, 43 year old graduate of Cabair, I can concur. To put it in perspective I graduated at 39 with about 196 hours. I paid my money, got the licence and have hardly flown since. (Partly my own stoopid fault - I went and got myself married and hence nailed to the ground, weighted down with a mortgage
)
Once you've got your licence, you will be in competition with a lot of more experienced people, and/or with a lot of younger people and/or (possibly) a lot more mobile people (I'm using the term "a lot" relatively speaking here. There isn't "a lot" of anything to do with helicopters in the UK in absolute terms really!) (particularly jobs) So it certainly won't be easy.
Heading over to the States, getting the qualifications FW207 mentioned and, if you can, working there until you get your ATPL is definitely worth considering. You can then come back with the hours and the JAA quals and have a damned sight more chance at employment than others such as me.
Just read your last. In terms of how genuine flight schools are, you've got to give a bit of credence to what Cabair said - you walked through their door with fifty grand to give them and they said 'go away and think it over'. A lot of schools would have had your wallet out of your pocket as soon as they'd finished shaking hands !