BMW has announced a vehicle recall after an electrical problem was discovered which could potentially result in a fire in its Mini models. The problem relates to an electric water pump which could affect vehicles including the John Cooper Works and Cooper S models which have been built between 2006 and 2011. BMW has recalled 235,000 Minis around the world. The recall will affect 29,868 of the cars in Britain.

Owners of vehicles which may suffer from the problem will be contacted shortly and asked to take their Minis to a local dealer where the issue will be fixed.

BMW, which produces Minis at its Oxford plant, said the problem had been spotted by internal quality control. The company added that it had not heard of any road accidents or injuries resulting from the electrical fault, but that it was currently investigating an engine-related fire in the UK which was caused by the fault.

A spokesman for the car manufacturer said that in extreme cases a build-up of heat in the wiring could cause smouldering which could then cause a fire. However, BMW was keen to point out that this was extremely unlikely and that the Minis remained safe to drive.

The spokesman said that the most important thing was to make owners aware that there was a potential problem and to get them to their nearest dealer to have the issue resolved. A new water pump should take no more than an hour to fit.