- Hold the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and do not brake hard.
- If the car can still be driven slowly and safely, leave at the next junction and turn into a side street.
- If you have to stop, get as far from the traffic as you can and switch on the hazard warning lights.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait somewhere safe, behind a barrier if there is one.
- Do not try to change the wheel next to moving traffic. If the car is stuck somewhere dangerous, call 999 or your breakdown cover.
Mobile tyre fitting off the A406 North Circular
Our only base is at Brent Cross, NW2, in the London Borough of Barnet, and the North Circular runs right past it: the nearest listed junction is under half a mile away in a straight line. We are a mobile tyre service, so there is no workshop to drive to. The van comes to the car once it is parked off the road, and we give you an arrival time when you call.
The boroughs it passes through, from Hounslow in the west to Newham in the east, are between about 2 miles (Brent) and 16 miles (Barking and Dagenham) from the base.
On the road
A red route with no hard shoulder
The North Circular has no hard shoulder anywhere between the Chiswick roundabout and Beckton, and Transport for London runs the whole road as a red route: no stopping on the carriageway, slip roads or underpasses except in a breakdown. The Neasden underpass, the Brent Cross flyover and the Bounds Green and Edmonton underpasses leave nowhere to pull in. If a tyre goes, the aim is to get off the road.
This follows the Highway Code rules on breakdowns and incidents (rules 274 to 287). We never work on the carriageway, a slip road or in an underpass.
Where we can work
Where the fitter can work once you are off it
The car needs to be parked somewhere safe and legal: a side street off the junction where parking is allowed, your own drive, or a car park whose owner allows the work, since retail car parks are private ground. If the car is in a controlled parking zone permit bay, tell us so the fitter can park legally beside it.
On the road
Junctions from Chiswick to Beckton
Not every junction allows every turn, so follow the signs. When you call, tell us which junction you left at and the street the car is in now.
| Junction | Serves |
|---|---|
| Chiswick roundabout | A4 Great West Road, M4, Kew Bridge, Gunnersbury |
| Hanger Lane | A40 Western Avenue, Ealing, Park Royal |
| Stonebridge Park | A404 Harrow Road, Wembley, Stonebridge Park station |
| Neasden and Brent Park | Neasden Lane, IKEA Wembley, Tesco Extra Brent Park, Wembley Stadium via Great Central Way |
| Staples Corner | M1 J1, A5 Edgware Road, Cricklewood |
| Brent Cross | A41 Hendon Way, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Brent Cross West station |
| Henlys Corner | A1 Great North Way and Falloden Way, Finchley Road, Regents Park Road, Finchley Central |
| Finchley and Colney Hatch | A1000 High Road, Colney Hatch Lane, Friern Barnet |
| Bounds Green | A109 Bounds Green Road, Arnos Grove, Wood Green |
| Great Cambridge junction | A10 Great Cambridge Road, Enfield, Palmers Green |
| Edmonton and Angel Road | A1010 Fore Street, Meridian Water, Tesco Extra Edmonton, Ravenside retail park |
| Crooked Billet, Walthamstow | A112 Chingford Road, Walthamstow, Billet Road |
| Waterworks Corner | A104 Woodford New Road, Epping, Walthamstow Forest |
| Charlie Brown's roundabout, South Woodford | M11 J4, A1400 Woodford Avenue, South Woodford |
| Redbridge roundabout | A12 Eastern Avenue, Gants Hill, Redbridge station |
| Ilford | A118 Romford Road, Ilford town centre, Ilford Hill |
| Barking | A124 Longbridge Road, Barking town centre, Vicarage Field |
| Beckton and the A13 | A13 Newham Way and Alfred's Way, Beckton, Gallions Reach |
Where we can work
What we can do at the parked car
A puncture in the central part of the tread can be repaired, which covers holes up to 6 mm and needs the tyre checked from the inside. Sidewall damage, a burst or a tyre driven flat for a distance needs a new tyre, fitted and balanced at the car. We can also remove a locking wheel nut when the key is missing.
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. The price depends on the tyre and the work, and we confirm it on the call. We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
Step by step
Calling us once the car is safe
→
Tell us what happened
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall.
→
Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
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Work at the car
The fitter comes to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, raises the car on a jack and does the job beside it.
Checked before the fitter leaves
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
By job
Each job in more detail
What each job involves, with a link to its own page for this road.
Tyre replacement at your car
The fitter brings the new tyre to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, fits it, balances the wheel and sets the pressure.
Tell us the size from the sidewall and we can talk through budget, mid-range and premium options for it.
- New tyre sourced in your size, load index and speed rating
- Old tyre off, new tyre on, wheel balanced and refitted
- Wheel nuts tightened to the maker's torque figure
Puncture repair
A nail or screw in the main tread can often be repaired. The fitter takes the tyre off the rim and looks at the inside before deciding, because a small hole can hide bigger damage.
Damage in the shoulder or the sidewall, or a tyre that has been driven flat, cannot be repaired safely, and you are told why before anything else is done.
- Tyre taken off the rim and inspected inside
- Repair considered only for small holes in the central tread area
- Wheel balanced and pressure set after the repair
Flat tyre help
A flat tyre does not always mean a new tyre. Whether it can be repaired depends on where the damage is and how far the car was driven flat.
If the spare is missing, flat or a space saver you would rather not rely on, the repair or the new tyre is brought to the car.
- The cause found with the tyre off the rim
- A repair if the damage allows it, or a new tyre if not
- Valve checked and pressure set before the wheel goes back on
Burst and damaged tyre replacement
A burst tyre, a bulge in the sidewall or a deep cut from a kerb or pothole cannot be repaired. The fitter replaces the tyre at the car and checks the wheel while the tyre is off.
Send a photo of the damage and the size on the sidewall so the right replacement can be found.
- Damaged tyre removed and the rim checked for bends or cracks
- Replacement matched to the size, load index and speed rating
- New tyre balanced on the wheel before it goes back on
Out-of-hours tyre fitting
Out of normal working hours, where the car waits matters more: somewhere lit, legally parked and away from passing traffic.
- The same repair-or-replace check as at any other time
- A new tyre fitted when the damage rules out a repair
- A lit, legal spot to work in, agreed on the call
Removing locking wheel nuts
Lost, broken or rounded key? The nuts are removed at the car with extraction sockets made for locking nuts.
Plain nuts or a new locking set go back on, and the tyre can be sorted on the same visit.
- Removal without the key, using sockets made for locking nuts
- Replacement nuts matched to the wheel's seat type and thread
- Tyre repaired or replaced on the same visit if needed
Pricing
How the price is worked out
There is no fixed figure that suits every car, so the price is built from a few things and told to you before you decide.
The price is given on the call. The price is the same at any hour. Asking for a price does not commit you to anything.
When you compare prices, compare like with like: the same brand and pattern, the same load index and speed rating, and whether balancing and a new valve are part of the job.
What goes into the price
- The tyre itself: size, load index, speed rating and whether it is a run-flat
- The tier you choose: budget, mid-range or premium
- The work: a repair, one new tyre or several, and any locking nut removal
- The location of the car
Staying safe
Staying safe until the job is done
While you wait for the fitter
- Stop somewhere off the main flow of traffic, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, put on a high-visibility vest.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier, on a pavement or well back from the road.
- If the tyre may still be repairable, say so before using a sealant can, and leave any nail or screw where it is.
- Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.
What to tell us from the roadside
- Which road you were on and the direction you were travelling
- The last junction you passed, or the number on a driver location sign if you can read one safely
- Where the car is now: the exit, the side street or the car park it was moved to
- The tyre size from the sidewall, and whether the car has locking wheel nuts
Road FAQs
Questions drivers ask about this road
Can you come to the car if it has stopped on the North Circular itself?
No. If the car cannot be moved, call 999 if you are in danger, or your breakdown cover. Once it is parked safely off the road, we can come to it. Our Brent Cross base is a depot with no walk-in service, so the fitter always comes to the car.
Where is there no hard shoulder?
Entire length, Chiswick roundabout to Beckton. On a stretch like that, keep going until you can leave the road or reach a lay-by, if the car can still be driven safely; call 999 if you are stuck in a live lane.
Where can a car not stop?
Whole road is a TfL red route: no stopping on the carriageway, slip roads or underpasses except in a breakdown; Neasden underpass, Brent Cross flyover and the Bounds Green and Edmonton underpasses in particular. If a tyre fails there, keep going until you are clear of it and off the road, if the car can still be driven safely.
Can I claim for pothole damage?
You may be able to claim from the council or the authority that looks after the road. Note the location, photograph the pothole and the tyre, and keep the receipt.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
Do new tyres come with a warranty?
New tyres carry the manufacturer's warranty against defects. It does not cover damage from punctures, kerbs or potholes.
Should new tyres go on the front or the rear?
When only two are replaced, the newer pair generally goes on the rear axle, which helps keep the car stable in the wet.
Can a tyre be repaired more than once?
Sometimes. Two repairs must not overlap or sit too close together, so where the earlier repair is matters.
How soon can the fitter get to me?
It depends on how far the car is from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on the jobs already booked.
★★★★★
“I called out for a mobile repair. The service was quick and quite reasonably priced. Would recommend.”
AMAjith Das MenonGoogle review
★★★★★
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
DFDavid FordhamGoogle review
★★★★★
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
LOLeo OduorGoogle review
Tyres and the law
Tread depth, tyre age and the law
The legal tread limit
Cars and light vans need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.
For a car, each illegal tyre can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points; the maximum fine for a van is higher.
The 20p test
Push a 20p coin into the main grooves at several points around the tyre. If the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread may be close to the limit and should be measured properly.
Other defects that make a tyre illegal
A tyre is also illegal with a cut longer than 25 mm or a tenth of its section width, whichever is greater, that reaches the ply or cord, a lump or bulge, exposed cords, or the wrong size or type for the car.
How old is your tyre?
The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019.
Rubber hardens and cracks with age even on a tyre that has done few miles, and many tyre makers advise replacing any tyre ten years old or more.
Helpful guides
Tyre advice worth reading
What to keep in the car for a tyre emergency
Most cars carry the wrong things for a puncture. Here is the short list that helps at the roadside, and what to check you have now.
A blowout at speed is frightening but survivable if you react correctly. Here's exactly what to do, why braking is dangerous, and how to prevent the next one.
Tyres for high-mileage and company-car drivers
If you cover serious miles, the right tyre saves real money. Here's how to choose for cost per mile and motorway safety, and keep a company car compliant.
Call or WhatsApp us
Tell us where the car is
Tell us what has happened and the make and model of the vehicle. We give you an arrival time when you call.