greetings to all. Can anyone please tell me what this gadget is for? It's in a compartment on the RHS of the steering column and just below the ignition button? Many thanks.

That is the "Toll" card reader thing. Like the severn bridge you have a module which let's you pass thats the same for them. on a side note handy little card holder.

Many thanks, alextovey. I guess I might as well remove it as presumably it's no use in this country and was left in when the vehicle was imported.

if you've got another head unit installed then be careful as sometimes they throw an error up on the ECU when removed.