w124 1993 220CE starting issues

[Stretford mongrel]

New battery and alternator charging out at 14V so these should not be an issue. Turn on ignition dash lights up, seatbelt extenders operate etc. Turn to start and no turn over. Can hear fuel pump but no turnover not even a starter motor click. From cold it starts no issue. Drive half a mile. Turn off then nothing. I have found if turn key and hold at start for few seconds 4 or 5 it then will turn over. But the usual start of just turn the key to start and it turns over doesn't seem to kick in but if it is held it does turn over although sometime slower than usual. Any ideas on what to check especially at the time it won't start. Garage gets it and it is working so can seem to find fault. Could it simply be ignition switch (100,000 miles) starter solenoid, bad earths? Thanks for any help.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Looking like the starter motor or ignition switch . But a bad earth can do this .If auto you have a switch in the gear selector, to stop anyone from starting the car in D or R So next time it wont work, play around with the selector . You can use a wire to try the starter motor .On the body by the battery you will see a box with a cover on the top this is the supply for the starter motor. Have a look at it and clean the contacts up . You will have to remove the nuts or screws to remove the wires one at a time.