THE motoring annoyance of having your car wing mirror smashed by passing traffic could be a thing of the past thanks to a county-based inventor.

Phil Hall, who lives at Drakes Broughton, near Pershore, has come up with a very simple and easy to manufacture flexible plastic wing mirror protector for people who have not got any off-street parking or who have broken down on the side of the road.

It slots into a vehicle’s door and protrudes slightly further than the wing mirror so on-coming traffic will aim to miss the device, called WingAware, not the vehicle’s mirror.

“If they hit the WingAware, as it is totally flexible, it won’t damage either vehicle,” said Mr Hall. “In my research I have found that most people have lost a wing mirror in this way or know someone it has happened to and they won’t claim on their insurance because of the excess on their policy. Also they don’t want to lose their no claims bonus.

“At the moment I have patent pending and hope to have the patent granted in the next couple of months. I have also applied for worldwide cover for the product and have acquired the trademark for the name WingAware.”

Mr Hall is currently promoting his idea around motoring stores.