ESP8266 not sending anything over serial

Projects Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

I have Wemos Mega-ESP8266 board. I have uploaded a simple WebSocket server on the ESP...

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <WebSocketsServer.h>

const char* ssid     = "SKYNET";
const char* password = "yourdogsfavouriteauntysmaidenname";


WebSocketsServer webSocket = WebSocketsServer(81);

void webSocketEvent(uint8_t num, WStype_t type, uint8_t * payload, size_t lenght) {
  
    //Serial.printf("[%u] get Message: %s\r\n", num, payload);
    
    switch(type) {
        case WStype_DISCONNECTED:      
            break;
            
        case WStype_CONNECTED: 
            {
              IPAddress ip = webSocket.remoteIP(num);
              Serial.printf("[%u] Connected from %d.%d.%d.%d url: %s\r\n", num, ip[0], ip[1], ip[2], ip[3], payload);    
            }
            break;
        
        case WStype_TEXT:
            {
              String _payload = String((char *) &payload[0]);             
              Serial.print(_payload);           
            }   
            break;     
             
        case WStype_BIN:
            {
              hexdump(payload, lenght);
            }
            // echo data back to browser
            webSocket.sendBIN(num, payload, lenght);
            break;
  
    }
}

void setup() {
  
  // Set up serial comms
  Serial.begin(115200);
  
  // Set up WiFi 
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  while(WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
     Serial.print(".");
     delay(200);
  }  
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("WiFi connected");  
  Serial.println("IP address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
  
  delay(500);  

  // Set up web socket
  Serial.println("Start Websocket Server");
  webSocket.begin();
  webSocket.onEvent(webSocketEvent);
}

void loop() {
  webSocket.loop();
}

I upload via the Arduino IDE & everything looks fine except the ESP doesnt send any information back through the serial monitor (yes I have the DIP switches correct for serial <> ESP comms).

I tried to see if was sending anything through the Mega via Serial3, the mega code (DIP switches set accordingly & ESP serial switch set to RX3),

// Input buffer from ESP8266
String temp;

void setup() {
  // Set up serial comms
  Serial.begin(115200);   // Debug to Serial Monitor
  Serial3.begin(115200);  // From ESP8266
}

void loop() {
  while (Serial3.available()) {
      Serial.println(".......");
      Serial.println("In from ESP8266");
      temp = Serial3.readString();
      Serial.println(temp);
      Serial.println(".......");
  }
}

I get the following on the serial monitor but nothing else

.......
In from ESP8266
[WS-Server] Server Started.

.......
.......
In from ESP8266
pm open,type:2 0

.......

???

I am totally baffled! Any help much appreciated.