'More Brits would rely on her majesty's service than David Cameron's'

When it comes to vehicle breakdowns, more Britons would prefer help with fixing their car from the Queen than from Tory leader David Cameron, a survey has shown.

While many consumers can opt for car or van insurance that provides breakdown cover, if they were to fix the car themselves 16 per cent of consumers would like a helping hand from the Queen.

The figure compares with 13 per cent who said the same of Mr Cameron, the study from the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme shows.

Meanwhile, the prime minister received less of the vote than X Factor judge Simon Cowell, who received 11 per cent of the vote to Gordon Brown's nine per cent.

"People may know that during the Second World War, the Queen trained to become a fully qualified mechanic," commented Nigel Beaven, spokesperson for the ATA scheme.

"However, with today's modern, high-tech cars, finding an automotive technician you know you can rely on can be a real challenge," he added.

The findings also highlighted that 80 per cent of people questioned have difficulty in telling a good mechanic from a bad one, with around the same number saying it would be a good idea to establish an industry-wide standard for auto repairers to improve the industry's reputation.

Drivers might want to ensure they invest in car insurance to cover any potential damage to their vehicles from cowboy mechanics.

Currently, the scheme is calling upon automotive technicians to take part in its Skillauto 2010 competition, which identifies and promotes exceptional workers.

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The views expressed within the article are entirely those of Adfero Ltd and are not those of the BGL Group