@DaveLingard Thank you for pointing this out, I think that was a much needed comment.
I did manage to resolve this myself (without any useful input from Sony)
You might find it useful to know that the back plastic panel is removable, you just need to take out the screws that hold it in. From here it is quite easy to access the vents and other components. The front plastic cover around the screen can also be removed once these screws have been taken out.