2003 1.2 Polo not cranking

[bwhymark]

my daughter has a 2003 1.2 polo that has an intermittent cranking problem. The earths have been cleaned up, new battery, removed and reconnected the plastic clip connector on the starter motor. It seems to work for a few days them stops. Any ideas?

Is there a way to check the starter motor without taking off?
Could it be a relay?

Any help would be greatly received

Thanks

[CarbonChaos]

Do you get ignition lights when this happens ? how does the ignition barrel feel ? worn ? could this be a worn ignition switch on the rear of the key barrel ?
when the fault is present check you are getting a 12v feed from the switch to the starter on the smaller wire of the starter motor
Could also be an Immobilizer issue ?

[Maarten]

have you tried the spare key?

[littlepolo]

An immobiliser issue should be flagged with a warning light on the instrument panel and/or a DTC (diagnostic trouble code). You can buy a cheap reader to check for the latter. When the issue occurs, is it attempting to crank/rotate the engine or not?