ok will try those suggestions

as test for current
i just had the LDO regulator and smoothing caps only - current draw was 0.25ma
with CPU added on a bare board,
blank cpu , no other componets except a 4k7 resistor on the MCLR pin pulled high , current draw 2.8ma( note: tried a 100k resistor as pullup with same results)
when the cpu was held in reset state by pulling 4k7 to low - current draw was 1.5ma


its interesting that the cpu is at 2.8ma with no code in it