I haven't seen an HP in awhile. They make good printers, though..
I've been working with Dell Laptops (620 and 630 models), not sure how expensive they are in pounds, but they seem ok. Only problems I've heard reported is sometimes the main battery doesn't last as long as it should.
I've also worked on some of the older IBM/Lenovo models, T60s, 40s, etc. They're also pretty spendy, but then I fix 'em for a corporation.
Long story short; most companies make pretty decent laptops, as long as you stick with name brands. If you're interested in a particular model, Google it, include the word 'problems' or such, and you can find out the worst. In addition, the companies have their own web sites, so you can get (slightly biased...
information there...