any ideas?

i think Berberis thunbergii cultivar ?

If it's berberis it'll be pretty tough (and lethal with those spines!)

The leaves look very much like Berberis..

Berberis (thunbergii) is a very spiney and deciduous shrub that is often used in hedging. It has very small creamy coloured flowers (or at least my unknown red variety does) which appear in late spring if I remember correctly. They are not very fussy about position or soil. Generally they can get to about 4-6 feet in height.

thanks, guys. the general concensus is berberis thunbergii. i think you're all right having googled it and compared it to pictures. happy gardening! :-)