24 Hour Car Recovery on the M1 from Staples Corner to the M25 (J1 to J6a)
Car recovery for cars, vans and 4x4s on the M1 from Staples Corner (J1) to the M25 interchange (J6a), day and night.
- No separate call-out fee
- Price agreed first
- Guaranteed attendance on confirmed jobs
- 24/7/365
If you cannot reach a place of safety and also cannot get out of your vehicle safely, stay in it with your seat belt and hazard lights on and call 999 immediately and ask for the police.
Send your details on WhatsApp once you are safe
Get to safety first and do not go back to the vehicle to check anything. Answer only from what you already know. If you cannot reach safety and also cannot get out safely, call 999 instead.
Opens WhatsApp with your answers filled in. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere else.
Yes, we provide car recovery on the M1 from J1 (Staples Corner) to J6a (M25), 24 hours a day, for cars, vans and 4x4s. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off, with no separate call-out fee. Once we have confirmed your job with you and agreed the price, we guarantee to attend, across the whole road; where the police or National Highways are managing the scene, we attend as soon as they allow access.
Our attendance guarantee
Once we have confirmed your job with you and agreed the price, we guarantee to attend. We cannot give an arrival time, because it depends on where you are and, where the police or National Highways are managing the scene, on when they allow access. The price is agreed before we set off, with no separate call-out fee.
Rated 5.0 from 153 Google reviews (October 2026). CityGrip Recovery is open 24 hours. About CityGrip Recovery.
The M1 from Staples Corner to the M25: an overview
This stretch of the M1 is about 14 miles long by the driver location signs, which read 11 km at J1 and 33.5 km at J6a. It starts at Staples Corner in north-west London, where the A406 North Circular Road and the A5 Edgware Road meet the motorway, and ends at Chiswell Interchange, where the M1 meets the M25. There is no junction 3, because it was never finished.
J2 is in the London Borough of Barnet. Two of the junctions work in one direction only: J2 and J4 each have a southbound exit and a northbound entrance and nothing else. So your direction matters as much as the junction number. This page is part of our whole-road guide to the M1.
Broken down on the M1? Get to safety first
If your vehicle breaks down, your safety comes before the car. The Highway Code (rule 277) says to leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area if possible, and National Highways says not to stop in a live lane unless absolutely necessary. If you cannot leave the carriageway at the next exit or pull into a service area, follow the three steps below. A hard shoulder gives less protection than other places of relative safety (rule 275).
Step 1, go left. Move into the left lane. Pull into an emergency area or onto a hard shoulder if you can, and stop as far to the left as possible, leaving space to exit your vehicle, with your wheels turned to the left and your hazard lights on (use sidelights too if it is dark or visibility is poor). If you can, stop just beyond an emergency telephone.
Step 2, get safe. If it is safe and possible, exit the vehicle by the side furthest from traffic and make sure passengers do the same. Wait well away from the vehicle and moving traffic, behind the safety barrier where there is one, aware of unseen hazards such as sudden drops, uneven ground or debris. Do not stand where your vehicle could be forced into you. Do not return to the vehicle, even if it is raining, cold or dark, and do not attempt repairs or put a warning triangle on the carriageway.
Step 3, get help. Use the free emergency telephone and face the traffic while you speak. If you have not stopped near one, or you cannot get out of the vehicle, call 999 immediately and ask for the police, or press your vehicle's SOS button if it has one and ask for the police. Tell them if you are a vulnerable motorist, such as disabled, older or travelling alone. In an emergency area you must use the emergency telephone and follow the operator's advice before you leave (rule 278), because a lane may need to be closed so you can rejoin.
If you cannot reach a place of relative safety and cannot get out safely, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt and hazard lights on, and call 999 and ask for the police (or press your SOS button if your vehicle has one). Rule 279 gives the same advice if you have a disability that stops you following these steps. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, register for the 999 text service before you travel. If you cannot use an emergency roadside telephone because of a speech or hearing impairment, National Highways takes texts for roadside assistance on 0738 028 3600.
Call us once you are somewhere safe: behind the safety barrier, well away from your vehicle and moving traffic, after you have spoken to National Highways or 999, or in a service area or off the motorway. Tell us your direction of travel, the last junction you passed, and the registration, make and model. Quote a marker post or driver location sign only if you can read it from where you are safely waiting. Do not go back to the vehicle to find details. National Highways says recovery operators are never expected to work in a live lane, so where the police or National Highways are managing the scene there can be a wait for them to make it safe.
M1 J1 to J6a at a glance
Southbound is towards London, northbound is away from it.
| Junction | Name and roads | Access |
|---|---|---|
| J1 | Staples Corner. Roundabout interchange with the A406 North Circular Road (east and west) and the A5 Edgware Road. | Full access |
| J2 | Five Ways Corner. Fork to the A1 and the A406 North Circular Road (east), signed The City. | Southbound exit and northbound entrance only |
| No J3 | Never finished. London Gateway services were later sited to use its slip roads and bridges. | Not applicable |
| J4 | Brockley Interchange. Fork to the A41, signed Edgware. | Southbound exit and northbound entrance only |
| J5 | Berrygrove Interchange. Roundabout interchange with the A41 and A4008, signed Watford and Bushey. | Full access |
| J6 | Waterdale Interchange. Interchange with slip roads to the A405, signed North Watford and St Albans. | Full access |
| J6a | Chiswell Interchange, the M1 end of M25 junction 21. M25 signed for Stansted, Dartford and Heathrow. | M25 traffic joins the northbound M1; the southbound M1 links to the M25 |
Junction names, layouts and signs from roads.org.uk; J6a slip roads also from the 2011 regulations.
M1 junction by junction: J1, J2, J4, J5, J6 and J6a
M1 J1 Staples Corner: the A406 and the A5
J1 is where the M1 begins, at location sign 11 km. A roundabout interchange connects the motorway slip roads to the A406 North Circular Road, signed east and west, and to the A5 Edgware Road. The signs at J1 name West End (A41), the North Circular Road east and west, and Heathrow. A caller at Staples Corner could be on the motorway, a slip road, the A406 or the A5.
Nearby: see car recovery in Cricklewood and car recovery in Brent, and our North Circular Road recovery page for the A406 itself. Tell us which road you are on and which way you are facing.
M1 J2 Five Ways Corner, and the junction that was never built
J2 is a fork, not a roundabout, at location sign 15 km. Southbound traffic can leave for the A1 and the A406 North Circular Road east, signed The City; northbound traffic can join from the A1 but cannot leave. It is in the London Borough of Barnet, which our Barnet breakdown recovery page covers.
Between J2 and J4 a junction 3 was planned, with a link of under a mile to the A1 at Stirling Corner, near Borehamwood. About three quarters of the junction itself was built (the link to the A1 never was), and London Gateway services were later sited to use its slip roads and bridges.
M1 J4 Brockley Interchange: the A41 towards Edgware
J4, at location sign 21.5 km and 6.5 km after J2, is a second fork with the same one-way pattern as J2. Southbound traffic can leave for the A41, signed Edgware; northbound traffic can join but cannot leave, so a northbound driver's next junction exit is J5.
For the roads around it, see car recovery in Edgware, our A41 recovery page and Borehamwood car recovery.
M1 J5 Berrygrove: Watford, Bushey and the A41
J5 is a roundabout interchange at location sign 28 km, with full access to the A41 and the A4008. Its signs name Watford, Bushey and Aylesbury. For the places around it, see car recovery in Bushey, Radlett recovery and Watford car recovery.
M1 J6 Waterdale: the A405 to North Watford and St Albans
J6 is an interchange with slip roads and full access, at location sign 31.7 km, where the A405 is signed for North Watford and St Albans.
M1 J6a Chiswell Interchange: the M25 junction
J6a, at location sign 33.5 km, is the M1 end of M25 junction 21, so the same interchange is called J21 when you are on the M25. Southbound drivers can leave for the M25, and traffic coming off the M25 joins the northbound M1. The signs at J6a name Stansted with the M11, Dartford with the M20, and Heathrow with the M40, M4 and M3. The 2011 regulations that set the variable speed limits north of here list linking carriageways from the M25 to the northbound M1 and a linking carriageway from the southbound M1 to the M25.
For the M25 side see our M25 breakdown recovery page and our M25 J17 to J21 page. North of J6a the same road continues on our M1 J7 to J12 page.
Smart motorway status on J1 to J6a
National Highways' operational and planned smart motorways map (reference CRE25_0085, information last updated 21 January 2025) does not mark any section of the M1 between J1 and J6a, so on that edition this stretch is not one of the smart motorway schemes shown. The nearest scheme starts at J6a: the map lists M1 J6a to J10 as controlled motorway.
The Department for Transport's smart motorway comparison report says controlled motorways retain the conventional motorway configuration, including the hard shoulder, and add variable and mandatory speed limits; that describes J6a to J10, not J1 to J6a. The M1 Motorway (Junctions 6A to 10) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2011 came into force on 16 May 2011. Layouts and roadworks change, so go by the signs and signals.
M1 services between J1 and J6a
There is one service area on this stretch: London Gateway (Welcome Break, postcode NW7 3HU), between J2 and J4. It is a single site on the west side, reached from both carriageways, and is the first service area on the M1 going north. It opened in 1969 as Scratchwood services. The next services northbound are Toddington, between J11a and J12, on our J7 to J12 recovery page.
What the M1 is like between Staples Corner and the M25
Department for Transport counts for 2025 (both directions combined) show the road getting busier as it leaves London. The first link at the London end carried 45,493 motor vehicles a day (counted) and J2 to J4 carried 66,698 (estimated). The link ending at J5 carried 100,798 (counted) and J5 to J6 103,178 (counted). Beyond the M25 interchange, J6a to J7 carries 157,142 (counted), about 12 per cent of it heavy goods vehicles.
The London end was one of the last parts of the original M1 to be built. The first section opened on 2 November 1959 from J5 to J18 at Crick, so J5 was the southern end on opening day, and J4 to J5 followed on 28 October 1966. Staples Corner to Five Ways Corner opened on 27 May 1975, northbound only until the North Circular flyover at Staples Corner was finished, and the southbound carriageway followed in 1977.
How our M1 car recovery works on J1 to J6a
Ring or WhatsApp 07960 200253 at any hour. Tell us the junction you are at or the last one you passed, whether you are northbound or southbound, the registration, the make and model, and what has happened. At J1, say whether you are on the motorway, the A406 or the A5. If J2, J4 or J6a was involved, tell us which carriageway you were on. Use the safety section on this page first.
For M1 car recovery between J1 and J6a we take cars, vans and 4x4s; see our van recovery on the M1 and M1 mobile tyre fitting pages. Our attendance guarantee is set out on this page. We cannot give an arrival time, because it depends on where you are and, where the police or National Highways are managing the scene, on when they allow access.
Had a non-fault accident on the M1? Recovery at no upfront cost to you.
If another driver caused the collision, our sister service CityGripClaims.co.uk can arrange your recovery at no upfront cost to you and give you claim support from the roadside onward. The costs are claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer through the claims service. What you would owe if liability is disputed depends on the agreement you sign.
- Recovery arranged at no upfront cost
- Claim support from the roadside onward
- Costs claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer
- Mention it when you first call us
M1 J1 to J6a car recovery FAQs
Do you cover the M1 from J1 to J6a, and what does guaranteed attendance mean?
Yes. We cover the M1 from J1 at Staples Corner to J6a at the M25 interchange, 24 hours a day, for cars, vans and 4x4s. Once we have confirmed your job with you and agreed the price, we guarantee to attend, across the whole road; where the police or National Highways are managing the scene, we attend as soon as they allow access.
How is the price set for a recovery on the M1 between J1 and J6a?
We agree the price with you on the phone before we set off, and there is no separate call-out fee. Give us the junction, your direction and the vehicle details when you ring, so the price is settled for your particular job.
How do I book, and are you open at night and at weekends?
We are open 24 hours a day, including nights and weekends. Once you are somewhere safe, ring 07960 200253 or message us on WhatsApp on the same number. Tell us your junction, direction and vehicle details, and we agree the price before we set off.
Which M1 junctions between J1 and J6a only work in one direction?
J2 and J4. Each has a southbound exit and a northbound entrance only, so you can leave the M1 there when heading towards London but not when heading north. J1, J5 and J6 have full access in both directions. At J6a, traffic from the M25 joins the northbound M1 and the southbound M1 links to the M25.
What if I am on the A406 or A5 at J1, not on the motorway?
J1 Staples Corner is a roundabout interchange where the A406 and the A5 meet the M1 slip roads, so a call from there could be on the motorway or on an ordinary road. Tell us which road you are on and which way you are facing.
Which junction do I use for Edgware?
J4, Brockley Interchange, where the A41 is signed for Edgware. J4 has a southbound exit and a northbound entrance only, so you can leave there when heading towards London.
Which junction do I use for Watford and Bushey?
J5, Berrygrove Interchange, where the A41 and A4008 are signed for Watford, Bushey and Aylesbury, and J6, Waterdale Interchange, where the A405 is signed for North Watford and St Albans. Both have full access in both directions.
Which junction do I use for the M25, Heathrow and Stansted?
J6a, Chiswell Interchange, is the M1 end of M25 junction 21. Southbound drivers can leave there for the M25, with signs for Stansted, Dartford and Heathrow.
Is the M1 between J1 and J6a a smart motorway?
National Highways' smart motorways map (CRE25_0085, information last updated 21 January 2025) does not mark any section of the M1 between J1 and J6a. It lists J6a to J10 as controlled motorway, which the Department for Transport says keeps the hard shoulder and adds variable and mandatory speed limits. Layouts and roadworks change, so go by the signs and signals.
Are there motorway services between J1 and J6a?
One: London Gateway services, run by Welcome Break, between J2 and J4 on the west side of the M1, with access from both carriageways. Going north, the next services are Toddington, between J11a and J12.
Lines open 24 hours. Call 07960 200253 any time.
Where the road details come from
Junction layouts, names and signs come from roads.org.uk, including the J2 and J4 one-way pattern; the borough of J2 from ONS boundary data; smart motorway status from National Highways and the Department for Transport; traffic counts from the Department for Transport; the J6a slip roads from legislation.gov.uk; services from Motorway Services Online.
- Office for National Statistics: digital boundary products - Local authority boundaries used to place J2 in Barnet
- National Highways: smart motorways map CRE25_0085 (21 January 2025) - No scheme marked J1 to J6a; J6a to J10 controlled motorway
- GOV.UK: Smart motorway comparison report, December 2022 - What a controlled motorway is
- legislation.gov.uk: M1 (Junctions 6A to 10) Variable Speed Limits Regulations 2011 - In force 16 May 2011; J6a linking carriageways
- legislation.gov.uk: SI 2014/2516, M25 Junction 21 and M1 Junction 6A - J6a as the M1 end of M25 junction 21
- Department for Transport: road traffic statistics, about the data - Counts are both directions combined, counted or estimated
- Department for Transport: M1 average annual daily flow, 2025 (JSON data) - Traffic counts
- roads.org.uk: M1 motorway database - Junction names, layouts, signs, J2 and J4 access, opening dates
- roads.org.uk: M1 Staples Corner to Fiveways chronology - Staples Corner to Fiveways opening
- roads.org.uk: A1 and A1(M), the unbuilt Scratchwood Link - The unbuilt junction 3
- Motorway Services Online: M1 services - London Gateway; next services Toddington
- GOV.UK: Highway Code, breakdowns and incidents - Highway Code, breakdowns and incidents (rules 274 to 287)
Broken down on the M1 between Staples Corner and the M25? Call us once you are somewhere safe.
Call 07960 200253, tell us your direction and the last junction you passed, and we agree the price before anyone sets off.
Nearby areas and related services
More of the M1, the M25 and the roads and places around Staples Corner and Watford.