Clacket Lane services
Roadchef · between J5 and J6 · separate sites on each carriageway · open 24 hours
M25 London Orbital · National Highways
Mobile tyre fitting
Mobile tyre fitting
on the M25.
Flat tyre on the M25? Our vans never work on its hard shoulder or in its emergency areas. Holding some pressure, drive gently to the next services or off at the next junction and phone from a car park. Cannot move? Dial 999 when in danger, otherwise National Highways on 0300 123 5000, and call us once recovery has you somewhere safe.
★★★★★5.0 on Google from 151 reviews·Arrival time confirmed before we set off
About the M25
Where breakdowns happen
Where breakdowns happen
and where we can meet you.
The M25 collects Heathrow traffic at J14 and J15, Dartford Crossing freight, Gatwick runs at J7 and the Hertfordshire commute between J17 and J25. Trouble surfaces where the road is most exposed: the Surrey stretch from J8 to J12, the QEII Bridge approaches and the M1, M40 and M11 interchanges. Clacket Lane, Cobham, South Mimms and Thurrock services trade around the clock. The northern arc between J16 and J27 is nearest Brent Cross; the junction table gives realistic figures for Surrey and Kent.
- No hard shoulder: J5 to J7 (all-lane running, emergency areas only); J23 to J27 (all-lane running, emergency areas only)
- No stopping: Dartford Tunnels northbound and the QEII Bridge southbound (A282 between J31 and J1a)
- Road operator: National Highways (0300 123 5000)
Before anything else
Get off the live carriageway
If you can still control the car safely, leave at the next junction or pull into a services. If not, use the hard shoulder or an emergency area rather than a running lane, but never as a place to wait for a fitter: nobody can change a wheel there.
If you cannot move
Put your hazards on. If it is safe, get everyone out on the passenger side and behind the barrier; if not, stay in with seatbelts on. Call 999 if you are in a live lane or in danger. Otherwise call the road operator (details below) and get moved to a place of safety. On a smart motorway use an emergency area and the orange SOS phone, and do not rejoin until the signals are set.
Then call us
Once you are somewhere a van can park beside you, call 07473 720871 with the road, the direction, the nearest junction or marker post and the tyre size. We confirm the price and a realistic time before we set off.
Junction by junction
Where on the M25 we can meet you.
The usual arrival band from our Brent Cross base; we confirm a real time when you call.
| Junction | Serves | Nearest safe stop | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| J1a | A206 Dartford, Swanscombe, Erith | leave for Dartford and stop on an industrial estate road or a retail car park | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J1b | A225 and A2018 Dartford, Princes Road | a supermarket or retail park car park in Dartford | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J2 | A2 Canterbury, Dover, Bexleyheath, Bluewater | the Bluewater car parks a short way along the A2, or a side road in Bexley | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J3 | M20 Maidstone, A20 Swanley, Sidcup | a trading estate or residential road in Swanley | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J4 | A21 Orpington, Bromley, Sevenoaks | a retail car park or side street in Orpington | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J5 | M26, A21 Sevenoaks, Hastings (Chevening interchange) | Clacket Lane services just past the junction clockwise, or leave for Sevenoaks | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| J6 | A22 Godstone, Caterham, East Grinstead | Clacket Lane services before the junction clockwise, or a car park in Godstone | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J7 | M23 Gatwick, Crawley, Brighton | no services at the interchange; the short M23 spur north ends on the A23 at Hooley, near Merstham and Redhill, where there are car parks, or use J8 for Reigate | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J8 | A217 Reigate, Sutton, Banstead | a car park in Reigate, well away from the slip roads | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J9 | A243 Leatherhead, Kingston, Chessington | Cobham services just clockwise of the junction, or a car park in Leatherhead | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| J10 | A3 Guildford, Portsmouth, Kingston (Wisley interchange) | Cobham services anticlockwise between J10 and J9, or leave onto the A3 and use the first slip road to a side street | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| J11 | A320 Chertsey, Woking, Addlestone | a retail car park in Chertsey or Addlestone | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J12 | M3 Basingstoke, Southampton, Camberley | no facilities at the interchange; use J11 for Chertsey or J13 for Egham | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J13 | A30 Staines, Egham, Windsor | a car park in Egham or Staines-upon-Thames off the A30 | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J14 | A3113 Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5, Stanwell, Poyle | a Heathrow long-stay car park or a trading estate road in Poyle | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J15 | M4 London, Heathrow, Slough, Reading | no services at the interchange; take the M4 to Slough or Hayes and find a car park | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J16 | M40 Uxbridge, Oxford, Birmingham (Denham) | leave via the M40 to J1 for Uxbridge and Denham, or Beaconsfield services at M40 J2 | Usually under an hour |
| J17 | A412 Maple Cross, Rickmansworth, Chalfont St Peter | a business park road at Maple Cross or a car park in Rickmansworth | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J18 | A404 Chorleywood, Amersham, Rickmansworth | a side street in Chorleywood or the station car park | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J19 | A41 Watford (Hunton Bridge), limited movements | leave onto the A41 and stop in a Watford retail park | Usually under an hour |
| J20 | A41 Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury | a side road or business park in Kings Langley | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| J21 | M1 Luton, The North, London | no services; leave via the M1 to J6 for Watford or J8 for Hemel Hempstead car parks | Usually under an hour |
| J21a | A405 St Albans, Watford, Bricket Wood, Park Street | a car park in Park Street or a retail park along the A405 | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J22 | A1081 St Albans, London Colney, Hatfield | the retail park at London Colney beside the junction roundabout | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J23 | A1(M) Hatfield, A1 Barnet, South Mimms | South Mimms services on the junction roundabout, open 24 hours | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J24 | A111 Potters Bar, Enfield | a side road in Potters Bar or the station car park | Usually under an hour |
| J25 | A10 Enfield, Cheshunt, Hertford, Waltham Cross | a retail park in Waltham Cross or Enfield off the A10 | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J26 | A121 Waltham Abbey, Loughton, Epping | a car park in Waltham Abbey | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J27 | M11 Cambridge, Stansted, Harlow | no services at the interchange; take the M11 one junction to Harlow, or go back to J26 for Waltham Abbey | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J28 | A12 Brentwood, Chelmsford, Romford (Brook Street) | a car park in Brentwood or a side road off the A12 | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J29 | A127 Basildon, Southend, Romford | a retail park in Romford or Basildon off the A127 | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J30 | A13 Tilbury, Lakeside, Thurrock, Dagenham | Thurrock services or the Lakeside shopping centre car parks | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
| J31 | A1306 Purfleet, West Thurrock, Lakeside; last exit before the crossing southbound | Thurrock services or the Lakeside retail car parks; never carry on to the bridge with a damaged tyre | Typically 60 to 90 minutes |
Services on the M25
Cobham services
Extra · between J9 and J10 · one site serving both directions · open 24 hours
South Mimms services
Welcome Break · J23 · both directions via the junction roundabout · open 24 hours
Thurrock services
Moto · J30 to J31 · both directions via the junction · open 24 hours
Off the road
What can we do once you are off the M25?
Fitting, puncture repair and locking nut removal wherever the M25 let you stop safely: South Mimms, Cobham, Clacket Lane, Thurrock or a junction car park, if permitted.
Puncture repair once you are off the M25
Whether an M25 puncture is repairable depends more on the next five miles than on the nail. A screw in the centre tread, stopped early, is a BS AU 159 patch-plug; driven from J8 to Cobham on a deflating tyre, it breaks up the inner liner and the tyre is replaced. Aim for the next services or exit.
How a mobile puncture repair is done →Burst and damaged tyre replacement on the M25
After a blowout, grip the wheel firmly and ease off gradually, with no hard braking. Still in control, leave at the next exit; if not, use an emergency area on all-lane-running sections or the hard shoulder elsewhere, everyone out on the left behind the barrier. Ring National Highways or 999 and be recovered to Clacket Lane, Cobham or a junction car park.
What to do after a burst tyre →Locking wheel nut removal at the services
A missing locking key or a rounded nut makes an M25 flat a two-stage job: recovery lifts the car somewhere safe, but the spare cannot go on until that nut is off. At South Mimms, Cobham or the recovery yard we remove it with specialist tools, alloy undamaged, fit a standard nut and deal with the tyre.
How locking wheel nuts are removed →24 hour cover for the M25
Night on the M25 is when the freight moves, airport runs start at four and lorry tyre debris lies unseen in lane one. Every service area on the orbital trades 24 hours: South Mimms on the northern arc, Thurrock near the crossing, Cobham in Surrey, Clacket Lane in Kent. Whatever the hour, we do not attend anything still on the carriageway.
How our 24 hour tyre service works →Every tyre service on the M25
Motorway advice follows the Highway Code (motorway rules 253 to 273 and breakdown rules 274 to 287) and National Highways breakdown guidance; repairs follow BS AU 159, the British Standard for tyre repairs.
Real situations
Stopped on the M25: what happens next.
J23 South Mimms with a screw in the tread
Pressure warning clockwise near Potters Bar. Take the J23 roundabout into South Mimms services and park away from the pumps. We pull the wheel there; a screw inside the repairable band gets a plug from the inside.
J31 Thurrock, sidewall bulge before the Dartford Crossing
Kerb strike at Lakeside, bulge on the nearside front, QEII Bridge ahead. Stopping on the crossing is prohibited, so leave at J31 into Thurrock services. Bulged sidewalls are never repaired; a replacement goes on there, rim checked.
J10 Wisley interchange, locking wheel nut key missing
A slow flat before the A3 at Wisley, and no locking key in the car. Carry on anticlockwise to Cobham services. The nut comes off with the alloy untouched, standard nuts go on, tyre sorted.
M25 FAQs
Questions drivers on the M25 ask.
I am in an emergency area between J24 and J25, what now?
Between J24 and J25 the emergency area is your only refuge, not a place to change a tyre. Out the passenger side, behind the barrier, then the orange SOS phone; National Highways set the signals. Recovered to South Mimms or a Potters Bar side road, call us.
Which M25 services are open overnight?
All four: Clacket Lane between J5 and J6, Cobham between J9 and J10, South Mimms at J23 and Thurrock at J30, each staffed all night. Cobham serves both directions from one site; Clacket Lane has a site on each carriageway, so say which.
Can you fit a tyre in the Cobham services car park?
With the site's permission, yes. Parking time limits apply, so tell the front desk you are waiting for a fitter. Park away from the forecourt and the HGV area, send a sidewall photo and stay with the car.
I have a flat on the Dartford Crossing approach, what should I do?
Never enter the tunnels or the QEII Bridge on a damaged tyre; stopping is prohibited. Northbound, come off at J1a or J1b into Dartford; southbound, J31 for Thurrock is the last exit. Tyre gone, behind the barrier and ring National Highways; the crossing runs its own recovery.
Does the M25 have a hard shoulder?
Not everywhere. J5 to J7 and J23 to J27 are all-lane running with emergency areas instead of a continuous shoulder; elsewhere, including the variable-speed J10 to J16, it is conventional. All are for stopping and getting behind the barrier, not for a fitter's jack.
Where do you meet drivers who break down near the M1 interchange at J21?
No services at J21 or J21a. Still under control, leave via the M1 southbound to J6 for the Garston retail parks, or carry on to J22 for London Colney. Otherwise recovery usually takes you there or to South Mimms at J23, and we come to whichever.
A red X is showing over my lane on the M25, do I have to move?
Immediately and safely. A red X means the lane is closed, often because a vehicle is stopped in it, and driving under one is a camera-enforced offence. If you are that vehicle, stay behind the barrier until a traffic officer or recovery brings the car out.
How long will you take to reach the Surrey side of the M25?
Longer than the Hertfordshire side, and we say so rather than guess. The junction table gives an off-peak drive from Brent Cross for every exit; J8 to J12 sits at the far end. On the call we say whether recovery to a closer point makes sense.
Can you fit a tyre at South Mimms services if I break down on the M25 at night?
South Mimms on the J23 roundabout trades round the clock, so wait there after dark on the northern arc. Tell the Welcome Break staff a fitter is coming, park clear of the HGV lanes and text us the sidewall so the right size travels.
A blowout between J5 and J7 on the M25 has left the car stuck, what happens?
All-lane running there, so you are in an emergency area or a live lane. Live lane: 999, everyone behind the barrier. Emergency area: the SOS phone brings National Highways and recovery. Ask for Clacket Lane services or a Godstone car park, then send us the location.
Google reviews
Recent Google reviews.
Rated 5.0 from 151 Google reviews.
★★★★★
"Fast and reliable."
KSKhurram ShehzadGoogle review
★★★★★
"Quick, helpful and very understanding of our situation."
EAEva AshmoreGoogle review
★★★★★
"Came in for a popped tyre, was fixed quickly and efficiently."
AJAmna JasimGoogle review
Along the M25
Which towns along the M25 do we cover?
Watford →Rickmansworth →Potters Bar →Enfield →Cheshunt →St Albans →Havering →Bexley →Hillingdon →Bromley →
Roads it meets
Guides
What to do after a motorway breakdown →Tyre breakdown on the M25 →What to do in a tyre blowout →Tyre blowout: causes and prevention →Can a puncture be repaired? →Slow puncture: causes and fixes →
Written and checked by Hiwad Yarkhil, founder of Rescue Tyres LTD, Unit 9 Adrian Avenue, Brent Cross, London NW2 1LX. Updated 2026-10-08.
M25 · 24 hours
Off the road and waiting? Call now.
Safely at South Mimms, Cobham, Thurrock or off an M25 junction? Send the location and tyre size.