Thanks for your reply Veronica.
I went to a good bike shop and they inverted the handlebars and chopped the protruding bits off. The bottom part of the sti levers are now positioned so I can brake without having to move my hands. I'm having to adjust a bit as the reach has become shorter but it didn't cost much to do.
The reach adjustable levers are a waste of time if you already have sti levers. There is just an extra wedge that brings the lever closer but wouldn't have made much difference overall.