right, recently noticed my spds don’t seem to be as tight as before. If i pull my foot up theres a bit of movement and a click before it disengages. are the cleats worn out or is it the pedals themselves?

Cleats do wear out over time

Pedals also wear eventually, but assuming you’ve not got ti bits on your pedals they should last for several sets of cleats.

I let mine wear for ages. Then on one ride in the lakes, went to hop over some rocks, feet came out of pedals and I slammed my bum down on the seat just at exactly the wrong point in time. In turn this slammed the BB/frame into the rocks with mucho force. Net result, a great nasty dint in the frame just where the downtube meets the BB.

I now make sure I replace cleats before they wear too much