Fire fears force Mini Cooper recall

Nearly 30,000 Mini Coopers are to be recalled in Britain after makers detected an electrical fault that could lead cars to catch fire.

The cars are made by Germany’s BMW, which said the recall affected 235,000 vehicles worldwide.

Safety checks revealed a problem that could cause the water pump to fail, potentially causing the car to overheat. Manufacturers are investigating one British case in which a fire is being linked to the water pump, a spokesman said.

The recall relates to two models – the Mini Cooper S and the Mini John Cooper Works.

About 29,800 cars in the UK could be affected by the problem, the company said. Owners will be issued with a recall notice in the next few weeks.

But a spokesman insisted the vehicles remained safe to drive and that there was a “very low incidence” of the fault.