I'm not a record producer, but I am an audiophile, a huge music nerd, former record store clerk (until I went to college) and a music writer/critic
You're lucky you live in the UK, as you have a big shot at getting noticed. The UK is one of the few countries where the pop charts actually based on purchases and in turn how good a song is.
There's some great labels around the UK you can send stuff to, like Domino, Dance to the Radio, Cooking Vinyl, Mute, etc.
Just shop your tape around or play some gigs. You may get noticed by another artist and they'll might spread some word of mouth (It happened to Kate Nash, and it can happen to you).
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here be dragons