Hi,
Fixed it. Despite the man at the garage saying that the wires at the tail gate hinge were OK, and the car needed a full strip down (major $$$), I took a look myself. Guess what - the 12v wire was broken, and the earth was hanging on by one strand! Two minutes with some wire crimps and all is OK again. If anyone else experiences this - simply checkout the rubber grommet where the tailgate wires pass from the chassis to the tailgate. Pull through the wires, and presto - you'll see your break. Reckon this is a Micra design fault!
Doug
March 2010