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Your engine light was probably a floating code for ignition/cam/crank timing being out a small amount which is a moderate warning sign you've got a worn timing chain, tensioner and or guides.
Beware on VW and other brands, unless you have a proper code reader than can interrogate the modules properly, generic (even expensive £4k+ machines) will not pick up the detail codes, so floating codes that don't have a high tier priority (and are stored) won't even flag up, even if they are looking for them. If you buy another VAG product, buy VAG-COM or OBDeleven, few hundred quid that pays for itself the first time you've had to avoid going to a main dealer for a code look-up.
BrickMan
owl
Thanks for this mate, really appreciate the detailed reply! And yep, thinking back there was the tiniest noise on cold start every now and then, basically since I owned it, and an engine warning light on the dash for the last couple weeks. It was booked in for a full service last friday, and I think my (misplaced) confidence in its ability to make it to the service was because I had a mechanic come to look at it when I bought it and he did all the electrical diagnostics and had no worrying messages in the car's log etc. But, it's a lesson, and at least it happened on a £3k car rather than a more expensive one. Living and learning.