It doesn’t matter if you’re rushing out to do the school run or dashing to work, nothing can get the day off to a worse start like discovering one of your tyres is flat.

Flat tyres are enough to deflate anyway, but it must be even more annoying when your have a photographer on hand to snap your frustration.

This is exactly the situation Xtra Factor presenter Caroline Flack faced when she emerged from her London home to discover a deflated wheel on her Mini Cooper last Thursday.

The glammy TV star Flack stood in the road staring at her car as she assessed the situation, then headed back indoors to phone for a cab to take her to work.

But what happened next? Well who knows what Caroline did to get her tyre replaced or repaired, but savvy woman turn to etyres for an Xtra efficient and convenient service - and we save them some money too!

Our mobile fitting service means that we fit tyres at a time and location of our customers choice - whether it’s their home or work.

And because our overheads are low, our prices are cheaper than the leading high street tyre depots too.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Pirelli is on the hunt for a suitable car to help it test the new tyres it is developing for the 2013 Formula 1 season.

The Italian tyres manufacturer has been in talks with the teams over a suitable machine for its test programme to succeed the 2009 Toyota TF109 that it has previously used, according to the AUTOSPORT report.

However, Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director, claims that teams are reluctant to run the risk of any squad gaining an advantage by having its 2011 machine used for testing.

This is despite all data being shared openly between the teams and Pirelli using its own test driver to conduct the work.

“There has been a suggestion that we could modify the 2009 Toyota, but the car is now in a museum and it is not a realistic proposition,” Hembery told AUTOSPORT. “We’ve not yet been given what we think is a suitable option.

“We would like a 2011 car from somebody, but we don’t really care who it is from. We want to do our testing with precision and feel that the older the car gets, the further away it is from a state of the art car.

“We understand the teams’ point of view that they don’t want to give an advantage to anybody, but at a certain point we will have to make our own decision to achieve what we have to because nobody will give us any credit for not using a suitable car if things go wrong.”

Discussions with the teams are ongoing and Pirelli is keen to come to a consensus solution. But Hembery admitted that it was possible that the company could opt to do a deal with an individual team directly if no acceptable car is agreed upon.

“It’s quite possible, yes,” said Hembery when asked if Pirelli could buy a car from a team. “We are not interested in assisting one particular team and we need to do our job. We have some interesting ideas for 2013, but need to do work on them.

“We are going to do a lot on the simulator and probably we will do work with the teams in simulation by giving them all a black box with 20 specifications and ask them to drive on them. That I certainly don’t exclude and I’m sure they will agree.

“But In terms of finalising the tyres, particularly the compound work, we do need a number of sessions. No more than three probably, just to finalise the work. We will get there, I’m sure.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

At etyres the protection of the environment is a major concern and we dispose of your old rubber in the most ecologically friendly way possible.

We use carefully selected disposal companies and the tyres are sent to remould manufacturers or used in road construction, as fuel in power stations or even sometimes used for sea defences.

However, illegal tyre dumping is becoming an increasingly serious threat to the environment as unscrupulous traders use the business to make easy money.

The scam has prompted one of the latest victims to issue a warning to other landowners.

The landowner from Towyn, near Abergele, Conwy, was approached by a man who wanted to store tyres on the plot which he said he intended to recycle.

Initially more than 20,000 were initially stored on land at Towyn near Abergele, Conwy.

She said: “It sounded a good idea. He did have some licences to transport the tyres and I just thought, ‘yes, this looks a good deal’.”

Several weeks later the man said he had got some money available to buy a machine to “crumb” the tyres, she said.

“The machine never arrived and by this time he’d filled the unit up with more and more tyres, and the Environment Agency got involved.”

Initially Ms Burt said she did not think the situation was too bad, then she realised the cost of removing the tyres would approach £30,000.

Now she has warned landlords approached to thoroughly vet potential tenants, even visiting places where they had been before.

“I don’t think the idea they had initially was what they wanted to do. They did want to con me,” she added.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Continental describe it as an ‘honour’ that its winter tyres have been awarded Best Buy status by consumer champion Which?

The ContiWinterContact TS830 and TS800 tyres made their mark in the Which? winter tyre test which put a wide range of tyre brands across six of the most popular sizes on the market through their paces.

Fitted to popular models such as the VW Golf, Renault Laguna and Vauxhall Zafira, the ContiWinterContact TS830 in size 205/55 R16 was praised across a range of areas, beating its competitors with an overall rating of 72%. Its grip on ice and performance in dry conditions was also praised.

Which? Car commented: “The ContiWinterContact TS830 offers first-rate grip on snow and is class leader for grip and handling in wet conditions too.”

The consumer title also recognised the ContiWinterContact TS800 in size 175/65 R14T. Commonly fitted to popular superminis such as the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa, Which? Car awarded a test score of 75%. The TS800 was praised for its performance in conventional wet and dry conditions, as well as its wear rate.

Which? Car added: “This Continental is a class-leading tyre, with its grip on snow second to none, it is also the most fuel efficient tyre in the batch.”

Peter Robb, brand manager at Continental, said; “Although widely fitted across Europe, there is a huge lack of awareness in the UK about winter tyres. These latest accolades are testimony to the overall high performance and safety of both the TS830 and TS800.

“It’s a real honour to be recognised in these independent tests by a leading consumer magazine.”

Which? also directed motorists to etyres when they need to buy new tyres.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

If you’re not one of the special, chosen few who are on the mailing list to receive the coveted Pirelli calendar, you can get a little peak by going onto the Italian tyres manufacturers website.

British models Kate Moss and Lara Stone grace the glossy pages of the 2012 edition of ‘The Cal’ which was shot by Mario Sorrenti, the first Italian photographer in the history of a calendar that has become a cult.

Sorrenti chose the island of Corsica and its rugged landscape to create his ‘swoon’: ecstasy captured by images.

“The intense relationship between a photographer and his Muse is the very essence of the creation of a strong aesthetic dialogue which leads to the sublimation of natural beauty,” he explained.

“In making “The Cal™”, I approached the subjects of my pictures by building a straightforward, intimate and real relationship which made it possible for me to instill the images with purity.

“In “swoon”, I put the bodies in direct contact with Nature, which harbors them as if they were its extension, in a set of images where rocks, land, tree trunks, sky and sea are all turned into a backdrop for the bodies.”

The 25 pictures of the 2012 “Calendario Pirelli” eighteen black and white and seven colour – are presented in a refined, canvas-lined portfolio, a format that has never been used before.

For a closer look go to http://www.pirelli.com/corporate/en/company/brand/calendar/cal-12/default.html.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

If you are planning on driving off on a skiing holiday, make sure heed the advice of Daily Mail skiing expert Neil English and don’t make the same mistake he did regarding his tyres.

Not having winter tyres fitted before he left the UK turned his routine road trip to Switzerland into a ‘nightmare, according to his article in the newspaper today.

English wrote: “I should have bought new winter tyres for my 4×4 last September but I put it off, gambling that I could probably still make my trip to the Alps on summer tyres. I planned to find somebody to fit the new ones in Switzerland just before I tackled the most difficult part of the journey - up the mountain road to the resort of Villars-sur-Ollon.

“After researching online, I discovered I could get the tyres at a great price from a garage outside Lausanne. I just had to make sure I reached the garage before it closed at 5.30pm.

“I like to cross the Channel from Dover by ferry, meaning I roll on to the motorway at Calais at about 9am. That gives me nine hours to reach Alpine resorts without breaking the strict speed limits on toll roads. However, it poured with rain all the way through France, meaning my progress was slow.

“I suffered another setback when my usual route over the Jura mountain pass - which climbs to 3,280ft and provides a short cut from Besancon in France down towards Lausanne in Switzerland - was closed to all vehicles without chains due to heavy snow.

“The diversion via Geneva added a further 90 minutes to my journey - and by now, snow was falling heavily. I made it to Lausanne at about 6pm, and was relieved to find the garage was still open and willing to switch my tyres. Phew!

“There’s no way I would have made it up the mountain without them. I saw countless vehicles stranded or pulled over at the side of the road, with people battling to attach chains to their tyres in a violent snowstorm.

“The moral of the story is either have chains and be prepared to put them on and take them off when the conditions change, or invest in snow tyres as early as you can.”

To read the full article go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2086955/Ski-holidays-Dont-gamble-safety-drive-slopes.html#ixzz1jdfHpnUr

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Pirelli tyres has announced it is extending its contract with the British Rally Championship for a further two years.

The Italian tyres manufacturer has been providing control tyres to the series since 2007, with the previous agreement due for completion at the end of 2012.

However, as part of its ongoing commitment to national-level motorsport, Pirelli has signed a deal with BRC organisers to ensure it is sole tyre provider until the end of 2014.

Carl Naylor, motorsport manager for Pirelli, said: “Each of the six rallies have different surfaces and challenges that place a whole range of demands upon the tyre.

“This not only enables the drivers to learn a range of driving skills and techniques, but means that they have to learn tyre control and strategy; an important part of being a world-class rally driver.

“We have provided the Pirelli Scorpion K6 gravel tyre and K4 tarmac tyre to the series for a number of years now and drivers have found them to be extremely durable and reliable while offering them the grip required of these demanding rally stages.

“We’re really pleased to be able to commit to the BRC for a further two years and believe that with all the changes being made this year, it’s going to be a very exciting series to be involved in. This deal also takes in the Pirelli Star Driver programme for 2013 and 2014.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Pirelli tyres is making the most of its appearance at the Autosport International Show this week with an exciting announcement and a host of guest appearances on its stand.

First the Italian tyres manufacturer has announced a new control tyre sponsorship with the Mini Challenge - just a year after taking over from Bridgestone as the sole supplier of tyres to Formula One.

Pirelli is also displaying several exciting competition cars at the show which runs until 15th January in Birmingham, according to Tyres and Accessories.

Dominic Sandivasci, Pirelli UK managing director, said: “We’re delighted to present every facet of our competition business at the Autosport International Show: the premier motorsport show in the world, which is very close to our Burton upon Trent base.”

Pirelli is also set to unveil the latest livery for the Pirelli Star Driver UK programme and is playing host to motorsport personalities, including Fifth Gear presenter and Pirelli F1 blogger Tiff Needell and Pirelli’s Motorsport director Paul Hembery.

As well as the current range of modern road car tyres, Pirelli’s new historic rally tyre – the GM6 – will be on display. This tyre took former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans to a dominant eight-minute victory on the Roger Albert Clark Rally, its UK debut – and the Ford Escort that he used to win it will also be exhibited on the Pirelli stand.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

The latest news from the world of Formula One is that Pirelli tyres will officially launch its 2012 Formula One season later this month, according to the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

The report said the Italian tyres manufacturer’s President Marco Tronchetti Provera will be present at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit when this year’s tyres and markings are revealed on 25 January.

Less than two weeks later, the teams will begin official pre-season testing at Jerez.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport boss, revealed at AUTOSPORT International that work continues on finalising the compounds for 2012 and he remains satisfied with the direction of the development.

“The hard, medium and soft compounds are changing,” he said. “We are making the performance differences between them much closer together and faster as well.

“We’ve changed the profile on the rear tyre and done a bit of work on the construction to try and get a little bit more footprint because we assume, maybe incorrectly, that there will be a little less downforce in 2012 – at least at the start of the season.

“But with the knowledge we now have, because not every circuit was known to us before F1, then we can make more aggressive compound selections for each race.

“Martin Whitmarsh gave a comment in Brazil when he said he wants Pirelli to challenge us again and push the barriers so that’s what we will be trying to do.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

The UK’s leading tyres safety organisation is kicking off 2012 with an announcement that it is treading new ground with its latest member.

TyreSafe is welcoming Adrian Flux Insurance Services to its fold - its first member from the insurance sector - to drive home its tyres safety message.

Adrian Flux Insurance Services, is one of the UK’s leading motor insurance firms, covering everything from standard cars to classics, modified vehicles, supercars and kit cars. Its strong market presence will help it bring a wealth of knowledge and industry expertise which will be used in future TyreSafe campaigns.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “It’s more than just a case of new year, new member for TyreSafe because we are really delighted to say that this is the first insurance broker to join our ranks, which also includes car manufacturers, tyre manufacturers and retailers and public sector organisations.

“It’s especially pleasing because Adrian Flux boasts such a strong web presence, which we hope to tap in to.

“However, we won’t sit on our laurels and are looking forward to encouraging many more new members in 2012, especially those from the insurance sector as they can bring a unique insight to the issues surrounding tyre safety through their involvement with customers making motor insurance claims, particularly tyre related ones.”

Gerry Bucke, general manager of Adrian Flux Insurance Services, added: “TyreSafe has been doing a great job raising the awareness about the dangers associated with illegal or defective tyres, so we’re pleased to get involved and lend our support . And as a market leader Adrian Flux has always been keen to lead where others follow, so we’re very excited to be the first insurance company to join the organisation.

“Of course, our line of work means we see on a daily basis the human and financial cost of tyre related accidents, many of which might have been prevented by a few simple checks which take just a matter of minutes.”