Thanks for the prompt reply.

The TOC style is automatically to "TOC header style". I can highlight the entire table and change this to "Normal" header style for example (which is not included in the main body of the thesis) and then the TOC does not show as "1" but then I lose all my indentations and other formatting of the TOC which I quite like. . . I assumed most people would not want TOC as a section in its own right - there must be an easy fix for this?