Staff at the Carsley Group’s BP North Muskham site on the A1 in Nottinghamshire realised they had suffered a very near miss/freak incident yesterday morning. The full story only emerged when they were trying to get to the bottom of why there was a huge hole blasted through the BP logo at the top of the site’s price poll.

Area manager James Kemp said they throught the hole had perhaps been caused by a bird. But it was only when reviewing the CCTV that they realised what had happened:

"At 10.30am a vehicle’s tyre seperated itself and bounced at great height and speed along the A1 and then straight through our pole sign helios as seen on the attached picture," he explained.

"Luckily no persons were injured, but had the tyre come into contact with anyone, I have no doubt it would have been fatal judging by the speed and height at which the tyre was travelling when viewing the CCTV.

"Its not something ever accounted for on forecourt risk assessments!

"We can laugh about the incident now but it just goes to show that even the tyres are fighting back against fuel prices."

In the meantime there has been no trace of either the tyre, or a vehicle struggling along the A1 in need of one!