Hello,
I'm new to all this, so please be patient with me.

One of my alloys (which is now my spare) has got a real serious ding in the rim. It's the part of the wheel which is right next to the tyre, so the tyre goes flat occassionaly.

Question is, can these sort of things be repaired? Or is a case of tough luck and chuck it out!

Thanks.

Repairs are possible, but you need to find a reputable place who have the necessary skills to do it properly. But if the wheel is cracked or badly out of shape then it's probably beyond help.

If you have four other good alloys then you might be better of trying to find a space saver steelie to replace it with. I wouldn't even use it as a spare if it's that badly damaged; there's too much risk that it'll suddenly deflate and cause a crash.