Hi Graham!
I am sorry to hear that you have got trubbles with the MOT-authoroties.
But I hope this link will help:
http://www.fstyr.dk/- as you will observe when linking to the site, it is also available in an english version and has several free .pdf-files to download.
Enjoy the reading and hopefully you will find the legal issues concerning your speciffic problems.
One little problem however could occur at the MOT-center; your position of the sparewheel on the hood - but only if a special sparewheelbracket is locatet inside the car (locatet in the center of the ladenareas frontwall)- some MOTcreaps use this fact as a guideline for their argument of disallowing you to carry it on the hood (where it naturally and doubtless belongs).
SIIIregards Stefan - Skanderborg