Got a flat and not sure what to do? Don't drive on it. We bring flat tyre help to you across London, the Home Counties and the Midlands and repair or replace it on the spot.
A flat is stressful, but help is simple. Call us, tell us where you are, and a fully equipped fitter comes to you. We work out the safe option, a proper repair where the damage allows or a replacement where it does not, and carry both on the van so, where your size is on board, it is done in one visit. This page walks you through what to do first, which of our services fits your situation, and what happens when we arrive.
Before you think about who to call, get the car and everyone in it somewhere safe. These four steps cover almost every flat, from a soft tyre on the drive to a blowout on a fast road.
If the tyre goes while you are moving, ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and let the speed fall. Do not brake hard or swerve. Pull as far off the road as you can, on the level if possible, and put your hazard lights on.
A tyre driven on with no pressure is destroyed within a short distance, and the wheel can be damaged too. A repairable puncture becomes a replacement, and the cost goes up. If you must move, keep it to a few metres at walking pace to get out of danger.
A nail or screw in the tread with the tyre still holding some shape is usually a repair. A bang, a shredded tyre, a bulge or a cut in the sidewall means a new tyre. Take a photo if it is safe to do so; it helps us bring the right thing.
Call 07473 720871 or WhatsApp us with your location, the tyre size from the sidewall and what you can see. We confirm the price and a realistic arrival time before we set off. Enquiries are free and there is no deposit.
On a motorway or dual carriageway? The rules are different and the risk is higher. If it is safe, get everyone out on the passenger side and behind the barrier; if not, stay belted in. Call National Highways, or 999 if you are in a live lane. Nobody can change or repair a tyre on a hard shoulder or in an emergency area, so if the car cannot be driven you will need recovery to the nearest services or junction first, and we meet you there. Our guide to breaking down on the hard shoulder explains the Highway Code rules, and the road guides further down this page list safe stops for the M1, M25, M40 and the rest.
You do not need to diagnose it yourself, because the van carries the kit for all three. But if you would like to know what to expect, this is how the jobs break down.
The tyre has gone down slowly or is still partly inflated, and you can see an object in the tread or a small hole. This is usually a puncture repair. If the hole sits in the central three-quarters of the tread, is no larger than 6mm and the tyre has not been driven on flat, we repair it to BS AU 159 on the spot and rebalance the wheel.
Puncture repair →A sudden blowout, a tyre that has shredded, a bulge in the sidewall or damage from a kerb or pothole. None of these can be repaired safely, so the job is a new tyre, fitted and balanced from the van. We check the wheel for damage before the new tyre goes on and tell you if the rim itself is bent or cracked.
Burst tyre replacement →Flat at 11pm, on a Sunday or before an early start? Our 24 hour service covers both repair and replacement out of hours, every day of the year, subject to a van being free. A late or Sunday callout costs the same as a weekday one, and the price is confirmed before we set off.
24 hour and emergency tyre repair →Two related situations are worth knowing about. If the tyre is fine but the wheel will not come off because the locking wheel nut key is missing or rounded, we can remove the locking nut without damaging the wheel. And if the tyre is simply worn out rather than punctured, or you would like to replace a pair, our mobile tyre fitting service brings budget or premium tyres to you at a time that suits.
From your call to driving away, here is what happens.
Tell us where the car is, what happened and the tyre size from the sidewall, for example 205/55 R16. A photo on WhatsApp is ideal.
We quote a repair price and a replacement price for a budget and a premium tyre in your size, so there is nothing to renegotiate at the roadside, and give you a realistic arrival time.
The wheel comes off and the tyre is checked inside and out. If it is repairable it is repaired; if not, the new tyre is fitted and balanced. Either way you are told what was found.
The wheel is refitted with the nuts torqued to the manufacturer setting, the pressures are set on all four tyres and you pay once the work is finished.
Driving on a flat is the mistake that costs the most. Even a short distance breaks up the inside of the tyre, which rules out a repair under BS AU 159, and it can damage the wheel as well. Our guide on whether it is safe to drive on a flat goes into the detail; the short answer is no.
A spare wheel, if you have one and can fit it safely, will get you home or to a safe place. Space-saver spares have a speed and distance limit printed on them, so treat them as a way to get off the road, not a fix. We can then come to wherever the car ends up, repair or replace the flat tyre and put the spare back in the boot. Check the spare's pressure now and then, because a flat spare is no help at all.
A sealant kit can get a small tread puncture holding air for a short drive, but it coats the inside of the tyre and the sensor, which makes a proper inspection harder and can rule out a repair. If you have used one, tell us when you call so the fitter brings a replacement tyre in your size just in case. Our guide to spare tyre versus repair kit compares the two.
Rescue Tyres works from one base in Brent Cross, north-west London, with vans out across London, the Home Counties and the Midlands. How soon we reach you depends on the distance from Brent Cross: the further out, into Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, the longer it takes, and it also depends on the jobs already booked at the time. We confirm a realistic time when you call rather than promising a figure we cannot keep, and we update you if traffic changes it. While you wait, stay somewhere safe and away from traffic, and keep your phone charged so we can reach you when we are close.
"Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service."
"Arrived and was very kind and polite. Reassured me about changing the tyres and was quick and attentive straight away."
"Excellent service from start to finish. He came out quickly to help my mum change her tyre and was extremely friendly."
Standards we work to: puncture repairs follow BS AU 159, as set out by TyreSafe; the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters (GOV.UK); motorway advice follows the Highway Code, rules 253 to 273. Reviewed by Hiwad Yarkhil, founder. Updated 12 September 2026.
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