I don't know how much emphasis there is on college degrees in the UK, but in the US you can definitely get good work in this industry without formal education.

You have to be willing to put in serious effort to get up to speed. For example, you'll need to spend your free time doing MOOCs and side projects until you have a sufficient amount of knowledge + experience to be attractive to potential employers. Go to meetups, keep up to date by reading.

Also, at first you'll likely need to take jobs with companies that aren't necessarily "sexy," but you can hone your skills and continue with those side projects.

Before long, you'll notice that you can get interviews at better and better companies (better=according to your preferences).