Suffering a breakdown can be a harrowing experience for even the most seasoned of motorists, but it is always a great feeling when recovery services can help drivers get back on their way.

With this in mind, vehicle recovery specialist the AA has revealed some of the more unusual repairs carried out by its patrols over the years, with one example standing out from the rest in terms of the quick-thinking and downright innovation of a patrol officer.

The incident in question took place at a farm in Hertfordshire and saw AA patrol Mario Papademetriou attend the scene of a breakdown of a 1960s-vintage Land Rover.

Its ignition system suffered a broken condenser and therefore the vehicle would not start, and with the nearest garage some 12 miles away and inaccessible, it was up to Mr Papademetriou to have his wits about him to secure a positive outcome.

This he managed to do in spades, as he was able to make use of a nearby potato – they were on a farm after all – and a few screws to create a make-shift condenser that had the vehicle back on the road and able to make the trip to have more permanent repairs carried out.

AA technical director Donald McSporran stated: "Although vegetables are best left on the dinner plate, Mario's use of a potato was definitely a chip above the others – an excellent example of thinking outside the box, or should that be sack."

Other inventive repairs that have been known to help motorists get back up and running in an emergency – even for just a short while to give them the time needed to reach a garage – include using chewing gum to temporarily stop cracks in a windshield from spreading, as well as breaking an egg into the radiator to create a temporary internal patch and stop leaks.

Mr McSporran concluded: "AA patrols work on pretty much any vehicle on the road and pride themselves on their ability to fix them. While they regularly go the extra mile with some very inventive repairs, we continue to invest in their training and equipment … to maintain our leading fix rate."

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