Hi there,
As a fellow Hotpoint connoisseur I haven't come across this issue. So you're saying that the hole is a 5p coin? I am making an informed guess that you haven't been overloading? The problem is that a leak could be caused by any number of reasons - overloads, seal issues , general wear and tear and even pest problems.
An intriguing problem that I have probably not helped with in solving!
Dave, January 2015