Sounds like the seal between the pan and cistern has gone or is distorted. You have to remove the cistern you can't get at this seal from inside.
Wickes I think sell the thick seal washers for close coupled toilets. Get one before you start and no sealant they are a dry fit. Cloth to wipe up water from feed pipe.
Procedure: Based on how I did mine and 5 others:
Turned off the water supply to cistern.
Flushed to drain. No not you the cistern.
Removed water feed pipe from cistern.
Remove external overflow if fitted.
Removed cistern wall fixing screws.
Removed wing nuts.
Lift cistern clear of pan.
Remove old seal either off pan or cistern which ever.
Fit new seal to pan lower cistern in placed tightened wing nuts keeping cistern square.
Refix cistern wall screws
Re-connect water try it out.
Tip: if the fixing bolts seem excessively long cut them down a bit so the wing nuts don't have to travel so far. Short or fewer turns is better especially if the bolts go rusty. Renewing the seal you may have to buy the seal set if so if you use the new bolts [or old come to that] coat them in vaseline, which helps to stop rust and makes for easier maintenance.
Nobby
February 2008