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You can do it with an extension plugged into the socket as you've described, it doesn't actually matter what the extension cable is according to the regs as you are plugged into a 13amp max socket. If you add it as a spur then it falls under part p because it's fixed wiring in the garden, so the council should be notified. Sensible to do it in armoured cable and for the extra money 2.5 would be a common sense approach, a jobsworth would point out that someone might want to run a heater or kettle etc. in the office in the future. A pragmatist would wire it up as a spur in 2.5 armoured and ir test it, check that the breaker is sufficient for the earth fault loop, test the rcd and as it's all in your own home, fuck the police.
Your problem with wiring it as an extension cable in armoured is the steel armouring should be earthed and you can't terminate that in a normal plug, you might be better off with a NYY-J cable if you can get away without mechanical protection (even that could be a struggle to terminate in a plug socket because of the outer sheath size), but you should do your own research on the specification for the cable :)
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Another reason to use a thicker cable is voltage drop if the run up the garden is particularly long. 2.5mm armoured minimum.
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Airhead
inchpincher
@Ramsaye
Garden leccy.
I have an existing outside double plug with its own rcd on the consumer unit.
I want to run a low power circuit down the garden to power lighting and provide power to a small summer office.
Can I just spur off the existing plug and run an armoured cable along the fence or would this require an electrician?
If the above is a no no, what about putting a plug on the end of the cable so it is essentially an extension lead made of armoured cable running along the fence?
Is there any advantage in using 2.5mm core when 1.5mm looks to provide more than enough amps for the expected load?