Since making an exhibition of myself in TK Max, I've just been told by the hospital that the DVLA will ban me from driving for six months minimum. How do I look after my car over this period of time?

Clean car before putting it away, a good wax is also a good idea.

Leave a window open to prevent damp and smells.

Pump up the tyres to about 50 psi to prevent flat spots.

Get a battery conditioner to ensure the battery is healthy, Ctek have a good reputation and are not expensive. No need to disconnect form the car.

Don't leave to much fuel in it, goes stale overtime and when you use it again a fill up will make a small amount of fuel good in no time.

Don't be tempted to keep starting it and letting it idle, does no good at all.

Send tax back and declare SORN.

Keep car insured and let your insurer know its not being used, if the garage goes up in flames or the car gets vandalised you don't want to give the insurers a get out of jail free card.

Give car a good check over before suing it after layup.

My "classic" is not used for 5 months each year. The above are all I do and in 25 years not had an issue.

One other thing, if the car is still under warranty it will still require servicing to keep the warranty intact even if its not used.

The important thing is to keep power to the car's BSI. If the battery is allowed to go flat it can lose the key coding. Not a great job to rectify but a bit of a hassle.