Nearly 70,000 Volvo cars in the UK are being recalled over a fire risk related to an engine problem.

The Swedish car maker said an investigation had found a rare problem with a plastic fixture on engines in certain vehicles.

Volvo said the plastic was at risk of melting on models with four-cylinder diesel engines manufactured between 2014 and this year.

The company said it took “full responsibility”.

“Investigations by Volvo Cars have identified that in very rare cases, the plastic engine intake manifold may melt and deform on certain model year 2014-2019 vehicles with four-cylinder diesel engines,” Volvo said in a statement.

“In the most extreme cases, there is a possibility that a localised engine bay fire may occur.

“The issue affects 69,616 cars in the UK. Volvo is contacting all affected customers.

“We are taking full responsibility to ensure the highest quality and safety standards of our cars.

“We will do our utmost to perform this action without any unnecessary inconvenience to our customers, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused and are grateful for our customers’ cooperation.”