You will be liable for the full cost of private recovery. Depending on the distance and the time of the incident this could cost over £300! This is why you should get breakdown cover before an incident occurs!
If your car is already broken, you will not be able to buy insurance. If you buy breakdown insurance when your car is already broken down and try to claim, you will break the law and could end up with a criminal record and up to 6 months in prison (No-really! it’s very serious!)