British climber dies after falling 60m on Spanish mountainside

A 28-year-old British climber has died after falling about 60m (200ft) from one of the highest mountains in northern Spain.

The man fell into a vertical gully while descending from the summit of Torrecerredo in the Cantabrian Mountains on Thursday, the Spanish Civil Guard said.

Police and an air unit were deployed to the scene after emergency services were called at about 13:45 local time (11:45 GMT). The man's body and belongings were recovered by a mountain rescue unit.

The UK Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities "following reports of the death of a British national in Spain".

The Civil Guard said two mountain specialists were lowered by winch to the site of the accident, on the eastern face of the mountain.

The identity of the climber, who Spanish authorities said was English, has not been given. The accident occurred when he was about 20 metres from the mountain's summit.

His body has been transported to the Institute of Legal Medicine, which provides forensic pathology services, in Asturias, the Civil Guard said.

Torrecerredo, which has an elevation of about 2,650m, is in the Picos de Europa, which is popular with climbers and walkers.

Sepa Asturias - the body responsible for emergency services in the region - said it also transported a 54-year-old French woman to hospital after she suffered a leg injury on the mountain range on Thursday afternoon.