I am a UK citizen having completed BSc and MSc degrees. I have worked in industry for little over a year and would like to return to study/research. I have done a search using findaPhd and seen a few I am interested in. Is competition fierce for places?
Applicants per position?

No if you are UK citizen then quite easy to get especially if you have industrial experience and also a MSc.

I do agree but alot of it depends on luck and how you do on the day of the interview! But you should be pretty good compared to the rest as you have industrial experience and a MSc. What subject are you thinking of going into and do you have research experience of this subject is also another important thing to think about. Good luck : )

You should be fine as PhD funding for UK students to study in the sciences is widely available (although positions rarely go unfilled). Competition is stronger in some of the more popular areas of science such as ecology and zoology.

Prehaps underfunded is the word for ecology and zoology studentships!!!