I haven't got an immediate answer to your question Peter, as it's still a bit new to me...also not knowing the model of your car.

However, provided that you are totally satisfied that your ABS system is working correctly, a lot of these electrical niggles (you may have noticed) seem to occur during cold damp winter days, so if your gremlins appear to go away during the warmer weather, it would perhaps be useful to re-schedule your MOT due date.

Talking of 'pistonheads', you may glean some really useful technical advice over on 'pistonheads.com'. Your car may not have its own section on that forum, but there is a wealth of general advice over there from some pretty clued-up people.

Personally, I may be tempted to buy a small pot of black paint and unscrew the dashboard, if all else fails.

It looks like 'classic cars' may well become a cheaper option for some though.