Turbo is eating my tyres

Turbos will shred a normal road tyre.

I bought the cheapest 10 spd wheel I could find, a cheap 10-spd cassette and a Continental turbo tyre, which works fine.

Agreed proper turbo tyres last much longer than your normal road ones.

Get a rim drive one? Loads quieter, no tyre/mess issues. Had a Magura one a while back, worked very well once set up. Anyone know of any downside to them?

Yeah, they won't run on disc brake rims

Do turbo specific tyres work as they should on rollers too ? If so would just one on the rear suffice ?

Simple answer yes, in my expirence, as you have more weight over the rear wheel, as on the road, it wears out quicker so it should work.

I have a Minoura rim one and love it. No wear to anything much.

Would definitely +1 the Continental Turbo tyre. Those things are bomb-proof, mine seems to be lasting a lifetime

Cheap option is to use your old tyres. Or head down to your LBS, if there anything like mine, they will have a box of old tyres that can be had for a few quid.

+1 for old tyres. Cheapest and best option, but if you want to take to the road too, you'd need to have a second rear wheel so as not to be on the road with garbage tyres. If it helps, I use an Elite Chrono Fluid turbo and Specialized Armadillo tyre... there is always a small amount of rubber dust when I fit a brand new tyre, but that stops after a couple of sessions. After that, there is no noticeable wear at all on the tyre. I don't know if it's the roller compound or the tyre compound or a combination, but I've used the same tyre on the turbo for two years and it looks like a new one.