I dont know that they're bad; I tried having the car parked, steered a little left and right to see if the engine would move but it was solid. I might try again with the engine on and steer lock to lock.
Both mechanics I've gone to aren't 100% sure which is why I'm scared to spend the money then find out its not the bushings. Peppermint on YouTube has a video where he removes each bushing in no more than 15 minutes,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9crInyMGhk
I ordered the polyurethane inserts a few days ago, DIY fitting them should be a doddle so I am tempted to try. It adds up to £40-50 which isn't too bad I suppose.