A British mountaineer has fallen to his death on Mount Everest, according to Nepal's tourism ministry.

Peter Legate, 38, a business manager from Lymington, Hampshire, was attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, the Foreign Office confirmed.

Mr Legate lost his footing while seeking to fix ropes and fell about 200 metres (655 feet) into a crevasse, the Nepalese ministry said.

The businessman was part of a team of seven mountaineers, including Hungarians and Americans, taking part in the climb.

Since 2000, Mr Legate had climbed some of the world's toughest climbs in preparation for Everest.

He scaled Mount McKinley in Alaska, Chamonix in France and Ama Dablam, a 22,500-foot peak in the Himalayas.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We understand he fell on the Lhotse face while climbing between camps two and three.

"We are in touch with his next of kin and are ready to offer consular assistance."

Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, has been climbed more than 1,000 times but about 180 climbers have died on its unpredictable slopes.