You could get something like a high quality Yamaha or an Ibanez for around £100-300. If you want it cheap then I would recommend Yamaha, their guitars are cheap but the built quality is very good as are the electronics. You will enjoy playing and it will last a lot longer than most other budget guitars.

If there is a branch called ‘Music Box’ somewhere near you then they should have something like this, just be careful that you don’t get ripped off. A lot of these big stores like to charge through the roof for shoddy gear.

An alternative would be to go to a small, independant retailer. Their prices are often very low and they are usually a lot more honest than the bigger stores. They will also be willing to give you a lot of information and sometimes even do small maintenance and repairs on your guitar for free.

Buying online is hazardous, especially e-bay. A lot of guitar buyers get ripped off on e-bay. Also you want to be able to try before you buy. This is crucial in buying a guitar.

If you go to a shop near you, make sure you can try out the guitars, try a range of them to see what styles and features suit you. Also if you don’t know much about guitars ask them about the different kinds of-
Neck joints.
Pickups.
Tone woods.
Pickups.
Bridges.
Only by learning about these different things and trying them out for yourself will you be able to make an informed choice and buy the guitar that’s right for you.

Another thing to consider is amplification. If it’s going to be in your house you probably don’t want to get more than 50 watts. Make sure it has a clean channel and an overdrive/distortion channel. A good amp to get would be a Line 6 Spider II, they are VERY cheap, very high quality, have an extensive range of tones plaus built in effects. Again make sure you can try them out preferably with the guitar you plan to buy.

Hope this helps.