Jump starter

Q Unfortunately, because a tradesman keeps parking a vehicle outside my frontage when there is a space, I have to keep a car (bought for that purpose) there to prevent his rouge and unsightly storage.

Please, can you recommend a battery jump/trickle-charger, I can put in the glovebox to prevent the battery going flat? Paul Durkin

A There is no stand-alone unit which would charge the battery without a connection to the mains, though a small unit which could be kept in the glovebox and would be capable of jump-starting the vehicle would be the GB40 1000A NOCO Jump Starter available from Halfords for £99, or if a more budget option were required the Clarke JSM200 Multi-function Micro Jumpstart at £59.98 is available from this website http://bit.ly/cmejsjmp

These units are often advertised as jump-start/charger packs, but the charger option is via a USB outlet for mobile phones and other similar devices.

If you did have access to power, then a conditioning charger such as the CTEK CT5 could be used to maintain the battery.