2025-03-28 Incredibly loud screeching from front wheel of my BMW 330i

So, a couple of days ago, my BMW 330i started an incredibly loud screeching (like a banshee!) sound from the front drivers wheel whenever in motion - backwards or forwards, although the sound was noticeably different in each direction. This drew a lot of stares from pedestrians and other drivers. The car continued to handle fine, brakes were great, steering positive, no grinding noises and no vibration.

Not particularly wanting to drive to a service centre, just in case it was something serious - and the noise being incredibly annoying/embarrassing, I investigated myself. Using my smartphone camera through the rim spokes, I managed to snag a photo of the culprit:

A piece of gravel jammed between the brake rotor (left) and brake dust shield. Half an hour worth of poking it with a small file and screwdriver, combined with flexing the brake shield and some reversing, I managed to shake it free:

Problem solved! I also note there appeared to be no damage to the brake rotor whatsoever, it obviously being the harder material.