A new trial is training AA Patrols as plumbers in a move to provide extra back up to the roadside rescue company's home repair service.

Launched in Northern Ireland over summer, the trial has seen around ten AA Patrols sign up to receive further training to tackle customers’ plumbing problems.

AA spokesperson Sue Beeson said the training given equipped Patrols with basic skills, and their purpose is not to carry out extensive plumbing or heating work, as they are not gas safety registered.

“We had an opportunity to trial some basic training for some of our roadside Patrols for plumbing jobs,” she said. “We can then deploy one of these Patrols for simple emergency jobs such as leaks, when a fully trained engineer is not immediately available, and they can at least stop the leak if not fix it.”

“As qualified mechanics, they already have a degree of manual dexterity and the ability to use commonly available tools such as screwdrivers, spanners, wrenches etc. The training provides the additional knowledge and understanding to use these existing skills to deal with the various ‘emergencies’ reported by our customers.”

There are currently no plans to roll the scheme out across the rest of the UK.