Hi Mark,
The pistol I would go for as a new starter to pistol shooting is a FAS AP604. It's a single stroke pneumatic, available in .177 and .22
They pop up in the secondhand sales adds on the internet usually for around £100
A friend of mine has one which he used to use for 10m target shooting and really likes it.
We now shoot at 6 yards, and I liked it so much that I now have one.
Now let the discussion commence........
Just my 2p's worth, but I hope it helps.
Andy.