SWINDON is to benefit from part of a £250m investment by the BMW Group.

The company announced the extra investment in its UK manufacturing sites at Swindon, Oxford and Hams Hall by the end of 2015 today.

The money is to support the company's international growth strategy for the MINI brand with increasing volumes and up to 10 different models in the new line-up in the mid-term.

It comes on top of the £500m UK investment announced in June last year and means additional job security for the 5,500 workers in the UK MINI production network.

The announcement was made during a visit to MINI Plant Oxford by Business Secretary, Vince Cable and Harald Krueger, Member of the Board of Management BMW Group.

Mr Krueger said: "A year ago we announced a further investment of £500m in our UK production network by 2014 and today we are announcing an additional £250m, taking us through to 2015. This brings the total to £1.75 billion since 2000.

"Over the last eleven years, MINI has been a unique global success and the BMW Group has even greater plans for the future development of the brand.

"This additional investment is great news for all our employees in the UK and shows the BMW Group's commitment to Britain as a vital manufacturing base for us."

As the volume and variety of the MINI model line-up grows, there will be additional production requirements for engines and body panels from the BMW Group's specialist UK facilities in Hams Hall and Swindon.

Part of the new investment is to develop specific production facilities to meet these requirements.