Hundreds of thousands of Mercedes-Benz cars in the UK are being recalled over air bag concerns.

Some 400,000 UK cars are being recalled as well as vehicles in "other markets", the manufacturer said.

The models affected include the A, B, C, and E-Class, and CLA, GLA, and GLC, built between November 2011 and July 2017.

Mercedes-Benz said its cars were safe to drive under normal operating conditions but urged customers to contact its roadside assistance service if the air bag warning light comes on.

No fatalities have been reported in connection with the recall.

A Mercedes-Benz spokeswomen said: "If the steering column module clock spring is broken, the driver air bag warning light will be displayed in the instrument cluster, as well as a red air bag warning lamp.

"In rare circumstances, if the clock spring is broken and the wiring components are not sufficiently earthed, this could lead to an electrostatic discharge which could inadvertently deploy the driver's air bag."

Customers who own an affected car will be contacted by the manufacturer and offered a one-hour fix which will be free of charge.

ends