AA driving instructor has to be rescued... by RAC van!

There were red faces all around for AA bosses yesterday when it emerged that one of their driving school vehicles had to be recovered – by an RAC patrol!

The Ford Fiesta, emblazoned with the yellow and black livery of the AA, suffered a puncture during a driving lesson near Edinburgh, and as it had no spare wheel, the instructor was forced to call for help from his breakdown provider.

But due to a technical hitch, that provider turned out to be the AA's chief competitor, the RAC. An RAC Transit duly responded, towing the stricken car to the nearest garage so that a new tyre could be fitted.

An RAC representative said: "The AA Driving School vehicle got a puncture but like so many new cars coming off the production line, it wasn't carrying a spare wheel.

"The driving instructor called the AA, but for reasons unbeknownst to us, they weren't prepared to go to the rescue of the car.

"It turns out the car was leased to the AA by a company which was covered by the RAC – and so we happily obliged to help out."

A spokesperson for the AA confirmed that their driving school cars were leased from a third-party company.

He added: "When the driver phoned for help, there was a systems issue, and as a result he was put through to the RAC, which is the breakdown service used by the leasing provider.

"Had he been put through to us, we would of course have helped. We would never refuse service."