Lexus has recalled nearly 4,000 cars sold in the UK for repairs due to concerns about faulty fuel pipes.

It is part of a wider recall across Japan, the US, Canada and Germany which affects 264,000 of the luxury vehicles.

Faulty fuel pipe design could cause cracks and corrosion and lead to a fuel leaks on the affected cars, according to an announcement in Japan.

In the UK, Lexus IS250 cars produced between June and December 2005 and GS300 models from September 2004 to November 2005 are affected.

The manufacturer will contact UK-based owners via the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) asking them to bring their cars in for a three-and-a-half-hour repair job.

A Lexus spokesperson said: "We will be looking to replace the fuel pipe on the car for free. We will be preparing some kind of customer goodwill package as we did when these incidents have arisen before.”

Parry made it clear the fault was not a danger to drivers.