Good luck on the application Dave.
We applied and got a visa in May this year. Our other friends applied 4 weeks ago and they got their visa through and my friends partner is now at home in UK together in contented bliss.
In both cases we sent original documents, or xeroxed copies that were stamped and signed by solicitor's to show they were copied from originals, which were perfectly acceptable from the Embassy's point of view.
Whichever way you do it, they will returm all the documents you submit with either a refusal letter, or in your case the passport compete with visa I sincerely hope.
We took copies of everything we sent, cos we never trusted that they would return everything, but we got it all back as it was sent to us. We never sent 2 copies of everything cos we figured it would be a little bit extra work for them if they refused us and then had to take the copies as evidence for the appeal.
They refused us on the first occasion, but we sent extra documentation and they overturned their own decision before it got to appeal.
