A dad of four is frightened to carry his kids in his family motor after the latest recall of the vehicle.

Zafira B driver Darren Bell said he was left believing the car was not safe to drive after a letter came telling him "urgent action" was required.

Last month, Vauxhall had to issue its third fire-related recall for the Zafira B people carrier . Some had previously been recalled because of a fire risk due to "melting of the plug that connects to the resister fuse" in the heating and ventilation systems.

According to Vauxhall, the car is safe to drive, but drivers should not leave it unattended with the engine running. The firm warned that "if the blower motor is not working or there is a smell of melting, please switch the fan speed to the off position and under these circumstances please contact your Vauxhall retailer to arrange repairs immediately."

After receiving the letter from Vauxhall, Mr Bell, who paid £1,300 for the car a year ago, phoned the firm's helpline number.

He claims he was advised not to drive his vehicle until work was carried out to rectify the problem, and that he was left believing it was not safe to use.

Mr Bell, 36, from Amlwch, said he bought the car specifically because it was a car capable of carrying a large family.

Darren Bell, of Amlwch, is in a dispute over an alleged fault on his Vauxhall Zafira. Image: North Wales Live/David Powell

Vauxhall has told North Wales Live that the vehicle is safe to drive subject to certain conditions in the recall notice. But Mr Bell says he is not confident using the vehicle, given the fires that have affected the model in the past.

He said: "Meanwhile the car is lying outside my house, and I'm having to rely on friends to take me shopping and I couldn't take my children back to their home in England last weekend as I don't feel safe driving the car until the problem has been fixed."

Darren Bell, of Amlwch, has been told he cannot drive his car safely while the fault is being fixed. Image: North Wales Live/David Powell

He says he had been told the car would be picked up and taken to a Vauxhall garage, where the work would be carried out, before being told he'd have to take the vehicle there himself and could end up having to pay for the cost of a courtesy car.

When North Wales Live contacted Vauxhall, it said the work should only take around an hour and a half.

This latest recall applies to 234,938 second-generation Zafira ‘B’ models sold in the UK.

The cars were built between 2005 and 2014, and are fitted with either no air-conditioning or manual air-conditioning.

A spokesman for Vauxhall said: "Mr. Bell’s Vauxhall Zafira has been recalled for work to be carried out on its heating/ventilation system.

"This is part of a national recall for selected Zafira models, and while our retailers are not bound to provide a courtesy vehicle while work is being carried out, they will of course make the recall process as convenient as possible for customers.

"To this end, Mr. Bell’s retailer has managed to bring forward the recall appointment, and will carry out the work while he waits (approx. 90 minutes). In the meantime, Mr. Bell’s vehicle is safe to drive, taking into account the guidance provided in Vauxhall’s recall letter."