Vehicle Recovery London

Vehicle recovery in London — 24/7, inside and outside the M25

London breaks down differently: tight streets, restricted zones, impatient traffic and nowhere to stop. K9 Recovery provides 24/7 breakdown and accident recovery across Greater London — from the North Circular to the South Circular, the City to the suburbs, and the whole M25 orbital around it. No membership required.

📞 Call now: 07301 118118

📞 Call now: 07301 118118

The roads we cover around London

• The M25 — the full orbital, clockwise and anticlockwise, including Dartford: see our M25 guide.
• The A406 North Circular and A205 South Circular — London’s stop-start pressure cookers.
• The arterials — A40 Westway, A13, A2, A3, A1 and every radial in and out of the capital.
• Central London — including the Congestion Charge and ULEZ zones; our recovery vehicles operate throughout.
• Every borough — Barnet to Bromley, Hillingdon to Havering.

What we recover in London

The honest answer: if it’s broken down, we can move it. Cars, vans and light commercials, caravans and motorhomes, horse boxes and livestock trailers, motorcycles, prestige, classic and supercars, 4x4s, taxis, minibuses, electric vehicles, trailers — and anything else on wheels. Onward transport to your home, your garage, or anywhere in the UK.

Not listed? Call us anyway. Any time, any place, any vehicle, any situation — that’s not a slogan, it’s how we operate.

Why London drivers call K9

• No membership required — you pay only when you need us
• Zone-savvy drivers — ULEZ, Congestion Charge, red routes: we navigate them daily
• Fully insured and professional — your vehicle is in safe hands
• Clear pricing before we set off — no surprises at the roadside

What our customers say

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Frequently asked questions

Can you recover from a red route or bus lane?

Yes — we’re experienced with London’s restricted stopping zones and work quickly and legally to get you moving.

My non-ULEZ-compliant car needs moving — can you help?

Yes — we can transport vehicles into, out of, or straight through the ULEZ, which often costs less than the daily charges on a vehicle you can’t drive.

How fast can you reach me in London?

Honestly: it depends on London. Call 07301 118118 with your location and you’ll get a straight answer, not a script.

Nearby areas we also cover

We’re a nationwide recovery operator, so wherever you are, we’re local. As well as here, we regularly cover Luton, Milton Keynes, Bedford and everywhere in between. See all the areas we cover.

Popular transport routes

• Cardiff to London
• Newcastle to London
• Nottingham to London
• Sheffield to London

Stranded in London right now? Call 07301 118118 — we’re already on our way.

Related coverage

• Motorway recovery
• 24/7 breakdown recovery
• All the areas we cover

Specialist recovery services in London

Whatever you drive, we have the right truck and the right driver — 4×4 & off-road recovery, van & light commercial recovery, electric vehicle recovery, caravan & motorhome recovery, motorcycle recovery, accident recovery, jump start & battery boost and motorway recovery. One number for all of it: 07301 118118.

Heavy, HGV & commercial recovery in London

London is where we run our biggest trucks and most drivers — so we cover any size, any job: HGV & lorry recovery, articulated lorry recovery (up to 30 tonnes), HIAB & crane lifts and commercial & fleet recovery. Cars to 30-tonne HGVs, one number: 07301 118118.

Every London Area We Cover

London drivers work inside and outside the M25, where the North and South Circular, the congestion charge and ULEZ zones and long stretches of red route all change how a job is done. Each area below has its own road, car park or bridge that decides where a truck can stand. K9 has no depot in any of them: a vetted driver from our own fleet who is already working nearby is dispatched to you. Ring 07301 118118 to start.

North London

Barnet

Barnet runs north to south on the A1 Barnet Bypass, the A1000 through High Barnet and Whetstone, and M1 junctions 2 to 4. Stirling Corner and Apex Corner are where cars stall in the queue, and the steep hill by Barnet Hospital is loaded from a side road. Ring 07301 118118 with the road name and nearest junction and the driver is placed at once.

Camden

Camden High Street is one way northbound, so the driver comes in from Camden Road or Parkway, never from the Lock end, and market crowds can delay a lift on Chalk Farm Road at weekends. The Euston Road is a red route on the edge of the congestion charge zone, Kings Cross has set-down bays on York Way, and the whole borough is inside ULEZ.

Enfield

Enfield is three different jobs. On the A10 Great Cambridge Road cars stop at speed near Southbury Road with almost no verge. The Lea Valley estates at Brimsdown and Ponders End are full of vans that will not start at six in the morning. Bullsmoor Lane feeds M25 junction 25, and the unlit lanes around Crews Hill mean a car off the road is winched out.

Finchley

Finchley sits between the A1 and the A406 North Circular, and Henlys Corner, where they meet, is treated as urgent because traffic joins from several sides at once. Tally Ho Corner is crowded with buses and pedestrians, Ballards Lane is slow with parked cars, and Finchley Central and East Finchley stations produce cars left over a weekend that will not restart.

Hampstead

The village streets around Heath Street and Rosslyn Hill are steep, narrow and parked solid, so a flatbed often loads from the nearest turning. Finchley Road is fast and busy by the O2 Centre, Pond Street by the Royal Free Hospital must stay clear for ambulances, and cars that will not start in the Heath car parks need a driver who knows the side roads.

Highgate

Highgate stands on a ridge, so every job starts with the slope. Archway Road carries the A1 down to the Archway gyratory, where one stalled car holds up buses on every arm. Highgate Hill passes the Whittington Hospital, so a car there is chocked and secured with ambulance access kept clear. Around Pond Square and West Hill the lanes are narrow and the truck needs a wide turning.

Islington

Islington follows the old A1: Holloway Road at Nags Head, Highbury Corner, Upper Street and the Archway gyratory. Bus lanes and loading bans mean a stalled car is moved quickly, and Upper Street bays fill with restaurant traffic, so a collection is timed outside loading hours. Angel sits at the edge of the congestion charge zone, and Caledonian Road has light industrial units set back from the road.

Muswell Hill

Muswell Hill is steep ground, so cars roll back on Muswell Hill Road and handbrakes fail on the climb from Colney Hatch Lane. The Broadway roundabout is never loaded on; the car is cleared to a side street first. On Alexandra Palace event evenings Fortis Green and the approach roads queue, so the route in is chosen with care.

Palmers Green

Green Lanes runs straight through Palmers Green with the A406 North Circular crossing close by, so most calls come from one or the other. Many are flat batteries on cars left on the drive for a week. Bourne Hill and Aldermans Hill are narrow and parked both sides, so a truck sometimes reverses in, and Broomfield Park and Winchmore Hill have quiet side streets.

Southgate

Southgate Circus is the pinch point, where the A111 and A1004 meet and buses and taxis arrive from four directions, so a stalled car is moved off the roundabout before loading. Cockfosters and Oakwood stations hold commuter cars that will not start. Grovelands Park has narrow roads where a truck needs a turning point, and the A406 backs up at peak times.

Tottenham

Tottenham is planned around the stadium. On match days the High Road is closed from Northumberland Park to White Hart Lane, and the driver approaches by the stewarded routes, so say which side of the ground you are on. The Tottenham Hale gyratory blocks bus stands within minutes, Seven Sisters is the busiest crossing, and Willoughby Lane and Marsh Lane run vans from dawn.

Wood Green

Wood Green High Road and Green Lanes are packed with buses, market traffic and pedestrians, so a flatbed loads from a side road. Turnpike Lane and Bounds Green stations add rush hour congestion, The Mall car parks are a collection point, and the A406 at Bowes Road is fast with little room to stop. On Alexandra Palace event nights closures decide the route and the arrival time.

North West London

Edgware

Edgware is built around its Northern line station and the A5, so most calls are short trip faults: a cold start on Burnt Oak Broadway, a flat battery at the station, a car that will not restart on Whitchurch Lane. The Broadwalk centre car parks have height barriers, so we meet you at the exit. The A41 Watford Way and M1 junction 4 slips need a careful approach.

Harrow

Harrow has a hill in the middle, and Grove Hill and Peterborough Road are steep and parked both sides, so the flatbed loads on the flattest section with chocks and a winch. The one way loop round St Anns Road and College Road has car park height barriers, so we meet you at the exit. Stanmore station on the A410 and Northwick Park Hospital are regular collection points.

Hendon

Hendon sits where the A41 Hendon Way, the A5 and the M1 meet, with Staples Corner and the Brent Cross flyover close together. A car that cuts out on the Hendon Way has little hard shoulder, and the Staples Corner slips need a planned approach. Brent Cross shopping centre car parks bring flat batteries, while Colindale side streets are tight with bays and bus lanes.

Kilburn

Kilburn High Road is the old A5, steep at Shoot-Up Hill, where a car losing power can roll back, so it is a priority. Bus lanes run both sides and parking rules tighten at peak hours. Around Brondesbury and Queens Park the streets are narrow and permit only, and our drivers know which side roads off the grid leave enough room for a flatbed to load.

Wembley

Wembley is a quiet suburb on the A406 and Harrow Road for most of the year, then on event days the stadium and Arena close Olympic Way and Engineers Way and the whole area runs differently. Inside a closure we need the street and the nearest steward point, and the Neasden underpass has no hard shoulder. Ring 07301 118118 and the driver is placed at once.

West London

Acton

Acton splits into residential streets, Uxbridge Road shops and a working belt of units running to Park Royal. Western Avenue, the A40, is fast with little stopping room, so a car is moved to the nearest slip road. North Acton estate roads can be tight for a full flatbed, Horn Lane vans sit in locked yards, and the railway bridge by Bollo Lane blocks both ways.

Chiswick

Chiswick is where the A4 meets the start of the M4 at the Hogarth roundabout, with its flyover and the A316 feeding in from Richmond, and a car losing power there is urgent. The elevated M4 has no usual hard shoulder, Kew Bridge has nowhere to stop, and Chiswick High Road has loading limits all day. Devonshire Road and Bedford Park streets are permit parked and full.

Ealing

The A40 Western Avenue has no hard shoulder on most of its length, with the Hanger Lane gyratory at the A406 and the Greenford and Perivale flyovers. We attend on the carriageway, the slips and the gyratory. Ealing Broadway shopping centre car park has a height limit, so we meet you at the exit. Ring 07301 118118 and tell us your direction of travel and last junction.

Feltham

Feltham sits against the southern boundary of Heathrow, with the A312 Causeway linking the M3 to the airport, Bedfont Lakes beside it and Faggs Road lined with logistics yards. Cars arrive off a long motorway run and fail on a fast road. Lorries on Faggs Road need a heavier truck, Feltham High Street is narrow, and couriers and taxis around the perimeter suffer tyre damage.

Fulham

Fulham is easy most of the week, then on a Stamford Bridge match day the Fulham Road is restricted and the route in is planned before dispatch. Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge Road restrict stopping at peak times, so cars are loaded promptly. Kings Road and New Kings Road have tight bays, and Fulham Palace Road carries steady traffic towards Hammersmith.

Greenford

Greenford is warehouses and light industry around Perivale, shops along Greenford Broadway and the A40 running through the middle. Vans from the Perivale units fail from overuse and block loading bays, so they are collected from the yard. The Westway Cross retail park fills most of the day. Horsenden Hill has narrow roads, and the Broadway is cleared to a side road off the A4127.

Hammersmith

Hammersmith is a flyover, a gyratory and King Street. The A4 flyover has two lanes each way, no shoulder and cameras, so a truck does not load on it unless a lane is closed; a car that rolls is talked down the off slip to the gyratory. Westfield car parks have height barriers, and Fulham Palace Road by Charing Cross Hospital keeps ambulance access clear.

Hayes

Hayes sits between M4 junction 4 and the business estates of Stockley Park, so vans and company cars are a large share of the work. The A312 Hayes Bypass is fast and a breakdown there backs traffic towards the motorway, while the A4020 Uxbridge Road through Hayes Town is congested with buses and parked vehicles, so we load from a side street.

Hounslow

Hounslow is where west London turns into the airport: the A4 Great West Road past Gillette Corner, M4 junctions 2 and 3, and the A30 Bath Road along the Heathrow perimeter. The Great West Road is a red route, so a car is lifted from the nearside lane. The High Street loop is one way, so we load from car park exits or Hanworth Road.

Isleworth

Isleworth has a one way loop round the town centre off the A315 London Road that confuses satnavs and leaves stalled cars nowhere obvious to stop, so the first move is a side street. Busch Corner and the approach to Syon Park see low speed collisions, West Middlesex University Hospital car parks bring flat batteries, and the A310 Twickenham Road carries despatch riders and trade vans.

Northolt

Northolt is where the A40 meets Yeading Lane, the A312 and Northolt Village, with the perimeter of RAF Northolt along one edge. Near the Target roundabout a car in a live lane is cleared first. Along the airfield the roads are narrow with short sightlines, so the truck is positioned carefully before winching. Village streets near Northolt Park are parked both sides.

Ruislip

Ruislip runs from the Polish War Memorial junction, where the A40 meets the roads into town, through the High Street to Eastcote, Ickenham and the Lido. A breakdown at the junction is cleared from the live lane first. The High Street is loaded from a side street, the A4180 West End Road sees many motorcycles, and Ickenham streets are narrow, so a short walk may help.

Southall

Southall changes on market days, when The Broadway narrows and a van may be pushed a short way before the flatbed can load. The low railway bridges on Hayes Road and around the A4020 Uxbridge Road need route checks for tall or loaded vehicles, and the single lane Grand Union Canal bridges near Norwood Green make a stopped car urgent.

Twickenham

Twickenham is built around match days: roads close early around the stadium, supporters fill the A316 Chertsey Road, and a car inside the zone should be reported before the closures start. Twickenham Bridge is narrow, so a car is coasted to the approach road if it can. York Street has a one way loop, and prestige cars from Strawberry Hill go on a flatbed, never towed.

Uxbridge

Uxbridge is where London meets the motorway network. The A40 runs from Hillingdon Circus past Swakeleys roundabout to the Denham roundabout and M40 junction 1, with no hard shoulder, so it is a live lane job. The A4020 passes Hillingdon Hospital on Pield Heath Road, the A408 through Cowley serves business parks, and in town the Chimes and Pavilions car parks and Brunel University halls have barriers.

Richmond

Richmond mixes the fast A316 with some of the tightest historic streets in London. Richmond Bridge has restricted stopping, Richmond Hill has a one way system a flatbed must read carefully, and Kew Road, the A307, jams with Kew Gardens visitors at weekends. Richmond Park gates close in the evening, so a car that will not start inside is collected before they lock.

Central London

Chelsea

Chelsea changes on a Stamford Bridge match day, when closures and crowds mean the car is moved to the nearest clear side street before loading. Kings Road, the A3212, runs on residents permits, so a flatbed may double park briefly with hazards on. Chelsea Embankment, Chelsea Bridge and Battersea Bridge have nowhere to stop, so cars are cleared to the bank. Chelsea Harbour has private roads and security barriers.

Kensington

Kensington is the four fast lanes of Cromwell Road, the A4, the bus lanes of Kensington High Street and the pedestrian priority surface of Exhibition Road, where our drivers know how far a flatbed may legitimately go. Earls Court Road and Warwick Road are busy with parked cars, and Olympia event days fill nearby streets. Inside ULEZ, older cars that owners want moved are loaded flat and taken onward.

Marylebone

Marylebone Road, the A501, is a red route where a stopped car can be moved by TfL before help arrives, so these calls are placed first. Baker Street is one way and a driver must come in from the correct side. Harley Street and its mews have permit bays and tight turns, with prestige cars outside clinics, and the Edgware Road end borders the congestion charge zone.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill Gate is a busy stretch of the A402 for buses and taxis, and on Saturdays Portobello Road closes to traffic for the market, so a car is brought out by the nearest open side street. Ladbroke Grove passes beneath the Westway with tighter headroom than it looks. During Carnival weekend a wide area closes to vehicles, and recovery waits for a marshal or the reopening.

Westminster

Westminster has red routes on most main roads and stopping banned outside a few loading bays, so a stalled car on Park Lane, Victoria Street or Westminster Bridge is moved off quickly. The borough is inside the congestion charge zone and ULEZ, and Pimlico has narrow permit streets. Ring 07301 118118 with your side of the road and the nearest junction and a driver is placed at once.

North East London

Chingford

Chingford sits on the edge of Epping Forest, so a busy A110 town centre gives way to forest lanes with poor lighting and patchy phone signal. The Crooked Billet interchange on the A406 is fast with few safe stops. Highams Park and Chingford Mount are quieter, and the station forecourt is cleared from a side road at school times. Ring us on 07301 118118 and name the nearest landmark.

Hackney

Hackney is shaped by low traffic neighbourhoods and modal filters around Dalston, London Fields and Mare Street, so the driver plans a legal route in before leaving. Kingsland Road and Mare Street have live bus lanes where a stalled car is cleared fast. Roads near Homerton Hospital are a priority. Around Hackney Wick the A12 approach has industrial yards and vans, and Shoreditch brings electric cars and motorcycles.

Leyton

Leyton has two main roads. The A12 passes through a sunken, tunnelled section with no hard shoulder, so a stop there is urgent, and the Green Man roundabout at the eastern edge draws traffic from several routes. Lea Bridge Road is slow with shops and buses. Brisbane Road is crowded on Leyton Orient match days, and Temple Mills and Ruckholt Road are van territory.

Walthamstow

In Walthamstow the Village low traffic neighbourhood has camera enforced filters, so the truck comes in from the open end of the street. At the Crooked Billet on the A406 a car in the underpass is a police matter first, then we lift once the lane is coned. Lea Bridge Road has cycle lanes that leave little room, and Whipps Cross Hospital car parks mean flat batteries.

East London

Barking

Barking sits where the A13 meets the A406, and a stall on either carriageway in the evening run is a live-lane job. In the town centre the one-way system round the market and station is slow to work in. Barking Riverside and the Creekmouth lanes have access roads that satnavs get wrong, so the flatbed is sized to the address, and River Road yards are collected straight from site.

Bethnal Green

Cambridge Heath Road meets Roman Road and Old Ford at a junction where a stalled car blocks a bus route in both directions. The market narrows Bethnal Green Road on trading days, and Hackney Road towards Shoreditch is tight enough that one broken van stops a lane. Around Victoria Park the side streets are calmer, and a flatbed usually gets close enough to load without holding anyone up.

Canary Wharf

The Isle of Dogs is served by Aspen Way and the Limehouse Link tunnel, so there are few diversions when something stops. Many car parks under the office towers have height limits that rule out a standard flatbed, so the car is brought up to street level. Westferry Circus and Marsh Wall are busiest in working hours, and a failure inside the tunnel is coordinated with the authority first.

Dagenham

The A13 carries the fast traffic through Dagenham, so a failure there is cleared quickly. Dagenham Dock, the A1306 New Road and Chequers Lane bring vans and heavier commercials, loaded straight from the yard, with larger trucks sent when the job needs them. Becontree estate streets produce cars that will not start of a morning, and Rainham Road East carries the traffic towards the Essex border.

East Ham

East Ham sits between the A13 Newham Way, where anything stopped in a live lane is urgent, and the A124 Barking Road, where buses and market stalls leave little room to stop. High Street North is narrower and busy with pedestrians. Newham University Hospital is the usual landmark for callers unsure of the street name, and much of the work is taxis and private hire cars.

Ilford

Ilford is boxed in by the A12 Eastern Avenue, the A406 at Redbridge and the A118 Romford Road. At Gants Hill roundabout, with five arms and an underpass, cars stall on the exits and the truck has to come round the circuit. The Exchange multi-storey cannot take a flatbed, so we meet you on the street. King George Hospital car park is a regular pick-up for flat batteries.

Poplar

Poplar sits on the northern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel, where the A102 backs up fast and a stopped car is a priority call. The A13 East India Dock Road and Aspen Way feed the same queue. Around Chrisp Street Market a van in a loading bay is cleared quickly, and Burdett Road towards Limehouse has narrow stretches by the canal where the truck is positioned with care.

Romford

Gallows Corner, where the A12 and A127 cross on a flyover with late merges and no hard shoulder, is the junction drivers plan around, usually approaching from the A127 side where there is room to set up. Eastern Avenue towards M25 junction 28 has lay-bys near Harold Wood. The ring road by the market is one-way and camera enforced, and Harold Hill sees flat batteries on cold mornings.

Stratford

The A12 at the Bow Interchange, the A11 over the Bow flyover and the A118 Romford Road all meet in Stratford. The Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach is a red route with no hard shoulder, so drivers come in from the Bow slip. Westfield car parks have height limits that stop most trucks. Ring 07301 118118 with the road name and the nearest junction and the driver is placed at once.

Whitechapel

Whitechapel Road carries market stalls and heavy bus traffic, and the Aldgate gyratory at its western end catches out drivers who do not know it, so trucks approach from the side that avoids a second loop. Commercial Road takes faster traffic and HGVs heading for the docks. Cable Street, Vallance Road and Watney Market are narrow and parked on both sides, and calls from outside the station come first.

South East London

Beckenham

Beckenham is mostly suburban, so the work is parking pressure rather than heavy traffic. A non-runner on the High Street draws complaints from traders, so those calls come first. At Beckenham Junction the trams, buses and short-stay bays leave no room, so cars outside the station are moved quickly. Roads round Kelsey Park are narrow with cars on both sides.

Bermondsey

A breakdown in the Rotherhithe Tunnel is an immediate priority because it is narrow, has no hard shoulder and closes a lane the moment a car stops. Above ground, Jamaica Road and Tower Bridge Road can mean waiting for the bridge lifts, and the Bricklayers Arms flyover has little stopping space, so cars are moved to the roads underneath. Old Kent Road is wide and easier.

Bexleyheath

Bexleyheath sits between the Danson and Black Prince junctions of the A2, a dual carriageway with no hard shoulder, so a failure there is a live-lane job. Eastbound the truck comes in from the Danson slip and westbound from Black Prince. Off the A2 the A207 Broadway has a one-way loop round the shopping centre. Give 07301 118118 the last junction you passed and a driver is assigned straight away.

Bromley

Bromley is the largest London borough by area. The A21 runs from Lewisham through Bromley Common to Farnborough, and most fast-road faults happen there, around Masons Hill and the junction by the Princess Royal University Hospital. The High Street is pedestrianised, so trucks load on Kentish Way or Elmfield Road. Petts Wood and Chislehurst have low railway bridges, and the lanes by Keston and Hayes can need a winch.

Catford

The Catford gyratory, where the A205 South Circular loops the town centre, is one of the hardest places in south-east London to stop. With one-way lanes and bus lanes, a stalled car is moved to a side street off Rushey Green or near Catford Bridge station before loading. Tell us which exit you are nearest. Bellingham and Downham are easier, loaded from outside the house.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is hilly. Anerley Hill and Gipsy Hill are steep enough to find a tired clutch or a slipping handbrake, and the Crystal Palace Parade runs fast along the ridge with few safe places to stop. The Triangle streets are narrow, so cars are moved to a side road before loading. When an event empties the park car parks, the roads fill at once.

Eltham

Eltham is held together by three A-roads. The A20 Sidcup Road is fast with little room to stop, so the truck shields the scene while loading. The A210 through the High Street and Well Hall Road is narrow and bus-heavy, and a stalled taxi or van backs up traffic within a minute. Stops on the A205 Westhorne Avenue red route are urgent, and Mottingham side streets are tight.

Greenwich

The A102 from Sun in the Sands roundabout to the Blackwall Tunnel has no hard shoulder, so a car that dies in lane two stops the whole southern approach. We come in behind you on the A102, and inside the tunnel Transport for London crews move you to the portal first. The A206 Woolwich Road serves the Charlton retail parks, and North Greenwich car parks empty fast after O2 shows.

Lewisham

Lewisham is a junction borough: the A21 from New Cross to Bromley, the A20 at Loampit Vale for Lee and Sidcup, and the A205 South Circular at Catford. Most calls come from those roads, the shopping centre car park or the hospital on the High Street. Deptford market days make Evelyn Street tight, and double red lines at New Cross Gate need a fast lift.

Orpington

Many Orpington calls begin on the M25 near junction 4, where a vehicle is loaded from the hard shoulder and brought off into the town rather than left at a service area. The A224 Sevenoaks Road through the centre is wide and easy to reach, while the A21 towards Farnborough has few places to stop. The station forecourt and Petts Wood mostly produce flat batteries and non-runners.

Peckham

Rye Lane is the hard part of Peckham: on a market afternoon the stalls, buses and pedestrians leave nowhere to wait, so the car is often got to the kerb before the truck arrives. The A2 Old Kent Road is a red route with buses and HGVs, so the lift is quick and the vehicle gone. Peckham Rye and Nunhead are calmer, with non-runners collected on a day that suits.

Sidcup

Sidcup is where the A20 Sidcup Bypass meets the A222 at Ruxley Corner, a fast dual carriageway with long stretches and no safe stopping points, so give the nearest junction or the last slip road you passed. Off the bypass, the High Street and the hospital have restricted stopping, so the driver loads from a side road. Foots Cray and Chislehurst Road streets are mostly non-runners and electric cars.

Sydenham

Sydenham runs along the ridge between Forest Hill and Crystal Palace, so gradients matter. On Sydenham Hill drivers chock the wheels and winch rather than trust a handbrake that may be the fault. Sydenham Road and Kirkdale have little stopping room outside the shops. Bell Green retail park brings weekend flat batteries, motorcycles are common around Forest Hill, and the Lower Sydenham industrial units give up the occasional non-runner.

Woolwich

Woolwich runs from the ferry down to the start of the A205 South Circular. Cars that fail in the ferry queue are cleared with the staff directing traffic so the crossing is not held up. The A206 Plumstead Road is the heavy east-west route, and around Woolwich Arsenal station pedestrianised streets limit flatbed access, so drivers plan the approach. Roads by the Thames Barrier have little turning space.

South London

Balham

Balham High Road (A24) and Balham Hill (A205) carry buses every few minutes, so a stalled car is cleared fast. Around Bedford Hill and the station the streets are tightly parked, so the truck loads from a side turning agreed on the phone. Near Tooting Bec Common, flat batteries after a week standing are common, and a jump start often solves it.

Brixton

Brixton Road is a red route from the Oval up Brixton Hill, with cameras and a bus lane most of the day, so a truck cannot park beside a stalled car. Drivers use Atlantic Road, Electric Lane or a side turning off Coldharbour Lane, and at the Stockwell gyratory they meet you on Stockwell Road. Call 07301 118118 with your direction of travel and the nearest side street.

Croydon

The A23 Purley Way between the IKEA roundabout and Fiveways is the worst spot in Croydon, because outside the retail parks there is almost nowhere legal to leave a car. A stall on the tram crossings at Sandilands blocks trams within a minute, and town centre multi-storeys have height barriers. Ring 07301 118118 with the road and the nearest junction and a truck already in the borough is sent.

Mitcham

Mitcham is crossed by the A217, Croydon Road and Morden Road, with a tram crossing at Mitcham Junction where a stopped car holds up trams as well as traffic, so drivers treat it as urgent. Mitcham Common has few access roads, and a car left there overnight can be harder to reach than a busy junction. Beddington Lane brings vans from the industrial units.

Morden

Morden is the southern end of the Northern line, and buses and taxis queue at the station all day, so a stalled car there is moved out of the way quickly. The Rosehill roundabout cannot be loaded on, so the car is cleared off the carriageway first. The A24 London Road carries commuter traffic, and the narrower roads by Morden Hall Park need care around cyclists and walkers.

Purley

Purley Cross gyratory is where the A23 Brighton Road meets the A22 Godstone Road, and a stalled car in any lane affects the whole junction, so it is cleared onto one of the two roads first. The M23 and M25 are close, so larger commercials and caravans heading for the coast fail on the approach. Kenley and Riddlesdown are hillier and quieter.

Streatham

Streatham sits on the A23, with bus lane cameras along the High Road, so a stalled car there holds up several routes and is cleared first. Streatham Hill is steep, so a failed car is secured before loading. Parking round Streatham Common changes with events. Norbury addresses can confuse dispatch because the postcode does not always match the area name, so confirm the exact spot on the phone.

Sutton

Sutton is a town of gyratories: the Rosehill roundabout at the top of the A217, and the town centre loop, camera enforced and bus-heavy. The St Nicholas and Times Square car parks have height limits, so the truck meets you at the exit barrier. The A217 is mostly red route, so side streets off Sutton Common Road are used for loading. The Royal Marsden at Belmont is a regular pick-up.

Tooting

Tooting Broadway is where the A24 and Garratt Lane meet the station, market stalls and a taxi rank, so a failed cab or car is moved quickly to keep it clear. Bus lane cameras on both roads make stalled cars a priority. St George Hospital has strict access rules at its emergency bays. Amen Corner on the A24 holds up buses on several routes, and Mitcham Road has tight parking.

South West London

Colliers Wood

The A24 runs through Colliers Wood as Merantun Way and the High Street, so a stalled car on Merantun Way is cleared from the live lane at once. The retail park and the Tandem Centre produce the most calls, mostly cars that will not restart, and the car parks are big enough for a flatbed. Towards South Wimbledon the one-way streets mean the approach is planned in advance.

Kingston upon Thames

Kingston has three hard jobs. The A3 Kingston Bypass has the Tolworth, Hook and Robin Hood junctions and no continuous hard shoulder. Kingston Bridge on the A308 backs traffic up on both sides the moment a car stops. The town centre one-way loop feeds car parks with height barriers that stop trucks, so drivers agree a meeting point on the phone. Richmond Park roads close at dusk.

New Malden

New Malden is where the A3 meets the A2043 at the Malden junction, with Shannon Corner and the Beverley Way retail park pulling traffic in from three directions. A vehicle on the A3 sliproads is loaded with you kept well clear of live lanes. Vans from the Shannon Corner trade units and around Motspur Park are common calls, and non-runners near Kingston Road are winched on.

Putney

Putney Bridge has no place to leave a car, and a stopped vehicle holds up both banks, so coast to either end if you can. The A205 Upper Richmond Road is busy with buses and shoppers. Putney Hill and the heath are darker at night, and Roehampton estate roads are narrower than they look, so a flatbed approaches from the right direction. Tibbets Corner funnels fast traffic onto the A3.

Surbiton

Surbiton funnels traffic through a few pinch points: the roundabout beneath Tolworth Tower, the A3 underpass towards Hook, and the A307 Portsmouth Road towards Kingston. A stalled vehicle in the underpass is a real hazard, so those calls come first. The A240 Ewell Road and A243 Hook Road see breakdowns on the move. Streets round Surbiton station are heavily parked, so the truck loads from a side road.

Wandsworth

The Wandsworth one-way system, Armoury Way, the High Street, Swandon Way and Fairfield Street, pushes the A3 round the town centre, so drivers tell you which arm they will arrive from. The Wandsworth Bridge roundabout feeds Fulham traffic into the loop, and a breakdown on the bridge deck is a live-lane lift. Garratt Lane to Earlsfield is lined with parked cars, and Southfields has permit parking.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is simple for fifty weeks, then the tennis arrives, Church Road and Somerset Road close and the streets of Wimbledon Park fill with parked cars. The rest of the year the A219 Wimbledon Hill is steep enough to expose a weak handbrake, so cars are loaded facing uphill. Ring 07301 118118 with the street name and a driver is placed at once.

Just past the London boundary we also cover Kent, Essex, Surrey and Hertfordshire, with the same drivers and the same single phone number. Clapham keeps its own page at vehicle recovery Clapham.

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