Repair giants Kwik Fit have apologised to a woman after a wheel fell off her car minutes after they fitted a new tyre.

Tracey Cooper, 47, was driving home after paying £400 for two tyres and an MOT on her Saab 93 when she heard a grinding noise.

The mother-of-two, from Ashford, had just turned round to head back to the garage when the front left wheel fell off at a busy junction.

Ms Cooper, who was with her teenage son, was left stranded in the middle of the road as she frantically phoned for help.

Luckily a relative came to their rescue and managed to carry out a makeshft repair.

Police were also alerted and they escorted Ms Cooper back to the Kwit Fit branch, in Mace Lane, Ashford, where she was forced to leave her damaged car.

The sales assistant, of Kipling Road, said: "I felt the whole car drop onto one side, and I felt really panicked.

"Luckily we weren't going very fast because we were coming up to a traffic light but it could have been a lot worse.

"We're lucky to be alive really - if we'd have been going onto the M20 we'd probably be dead. I'm just glad I didn't have my grandchildren in the car."

She added: "Kwik Fit are supposed to be a reputable company, but I think it's disgusting the way we've been treated.

"We called them as soon as we discovered the problem, minutes after they'd serviced the car, and they just didn’t seem bothered.

"I would tell people not to go there, if that’s the kind of service you can expect."

A Kwik Fit spokesman said: "We fully accept that our processes broke down in this case.

"We have apologised to the customer and have provided them with a replacement car and arranged for their car to be repaired.

"Although this is a one-off case we are carrying out a full investigation into how this incident occurred so we can ensure it cannot happen again."