VRS cam timing

Hi everyone

Go a 2003 Octavia VRS estate 116000 miles.

Engine management light has come on recently and car has started sometimes running erraticaly, missing under power. Has been "looked at" by a generic code reader that i have not seen. Apparently no fault code number given but the description of fault is "camshaft position actuator A bank 1 timing over retarded"

It is due for a cambelt replacement shortly but a couple of hoursspent searching the 'net leads me to believe this is not the root cause.

I am diy mechanic but have never delved into a vvt engine. Any 1.8T specialists in the West Midlands out there? Any one any experience of this on here? Further help or info on camshaft position actuators or how to proceed from here woul be gratefuly accepted

Regards Simon