AS a motoring accessory they have reached the end of the road.

But old tyres are helping to make funds grow for the Bishopstoke-based Hampshire Association for the Care of the Blind.

For at the MP Tyres depot in Botley Road, Hedge End, owner Peter Noyce has given worn tyres a new lease of life by turning them into flower pots.

Using a sharp knife, 63 year-old Peter can conjure up a flower pot in about five minutes. And they can be as wide as two feet. They have been selling at £3.50 for painted pots and £2.50p for unpainted.

At his depot he has a spectacular display showing customers how reycled tyres can make their garden grow. There are pots filled with flowers, beans, strawberries, spinach and garlic.

Peter said: "It gives people an idea of how effective they can be. They are ideal even if you have only got a veranda."

For more than 20 years Peter has been creating the special flower pots and steering the funds raised towards the Hampshire Association for the Care of the Blind.

Modestly, he says that he does not know how much he has raised but it must run into hundreds of pounds. The last cheque he handed over was for just over £126. Peter said: "The HACB give a lot of practical help to blind people."

An association spokesman said: "We are absolutely delighted that he has turned what is a waste product into something that people can buy and which raises money."