British skier dies in the Alps after avalanche

A British skier who went missing in the Alps on Christmas Day has died after being caught in an avalanche.

The body of Nigel Jackson, 43, who was staying in the resort of Chamonix, was found by a rescue team on Boxing Day.

French Police said Mr Jackson, who was originally from Liverpool but had moved to London, was found just off piste and had been caught in an avalanche.

Mr Jackson was on a skiing holiday with his boyfriend and went skiing on Christmas Day with some friends.

He is said to have gone skiing despite bad weather and very poor visibility.

Helicopter search

He was found the following day in a part of the resort which is known for its gentle ski runs and is accessible to skiers of all levels.

"We found the body of a British man on Saturday afternoon at Le Tour Col de Balme. It was clear he had been caught in an avalanche," a police spokesman said.

"A search was launched at around 1730 on Friday when one of his friends raised the alarm. At the time we searched with a helicopter but we couldn't see anything. The weather was very bad on Christmas Day.

"The next day we found an avalanche near Le Tour and the man was found close to the piste."

Mr Jackson's parents have flown to France to meet police and to arrange for his body to be returned to Britain.

The death came as a search continued for a young Briton who went missing in the Swiss ski resort of Wengen nearly a week ago.

Myles Robinson, 23, disappeared after leaving the Blue Monkey bar in Wengen to take a friend to her hotel just after 0200 GMT on Tuesday.

Mr Robinson had been staying at the Hotel Eiger with his family, from London, a few hundred metres away.

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