I have an Hitachi digital video camera about 18 months old DZ- HV575E
I have lost the charger in the process of moving house, and it is proving a pain to find another one
I have tried Maplins, Currys part masters, etc, Even Hitachi itself, with no joy
I cannot understand why it is so difficult to get such a simple item
Anyone have any other ideas?

I found a copy of the manual online with a spot of googling. From that it appears it uses the mini USB port for charging. So that suggests that any bog standard USB power adapter with a suitable mini USB plug on the end will do the job.

If you have a USB lead to plug it into your computer you could even use that.