i contacted maplins, and unfortunately they've confirmed there is no alternative for the discontinued battery pack (L33AK).
However I was able to find another battery pack over at
www.batteryspace.com, useless to me as it wont get here in time, more so it comes in at a hefty $90, but if you're really determined to get one, this may be an alternative:
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...l=&strCompare=