Zanussi WJS 1397W – leaking + not heating

Model: Zanussi Jetsystem Excel 1250 Turbodry: WJS 1397W. Bought Sep 98.

Just before Christmas, the wife told me the washing machine was pouring water all over the floor, and she needed a couple of bath-towels on the floor to mop up the water. Around/At the same time, the tumble-dryer cycle stopped heating the air, so nothing was drying. Maybe just being oversensitive, but the drum spin noise sounds ‘different’ these days…
(all filters/trays/drainage are clean, by the way)
I think it started as a trickle, and turned to a small stream over time.

The machine still washes clothes ok, though not as well as before…

I ran a rinse/drain cycle with an empty machine to see where the water was coming from – seems to be roughly central, towards the rear of the unit (as if coming from the back of the drum).

Strangely, we went away for a week over xmas, and when we came back, the machine didn’t leak for a week! (10 washes – we have 2 small kids)

I’ve got an anti-tamper socket set, so can get the lid off, but looking a bit daunting from here…

So, I’m tempted to call an engineer, but if there’s an obvious thing to check, I can do that. Other than that, if it sounds like a mammoth job, am I better off just getting a new machine? Finally, would an engineer take the unit away for a week or more, or be able to fix onsite?

Thanks for any direction anyone can give.
Cheers
Alan.