A couple of DPF related questions

I'm fairly certain that the DPF in my '07 VRS 170PD Octavia is nearing the end of its life and have a couple of questions. 

I know there are still plenty of people out there who will gut the filter and reprogram the ECU to play along. And I also suspect that the engine would come into its own and probably live a lot longer if the EGR and DPF were removed.  Alas, this option, tempting as it is, also appears to be increasingly risky. So it's off the table. Which leaves the question of how best to solve the problem legally.

I've found aftermarket DPFs on the internet for around £400, but I've been told by a reliable mechanic that these are not very good. And the genuine part is around £1200. The other option is to have the existing one cleaned, but as with all things on the internet, it's hard to know if the claims made by the people who offer this service are hype or not. 

Does anyone have enough experience with this issue to advise on the best (and most economical) solution?