British hiker, 70, found dead in Pyrenees

A search was sparked for the man after the Spanish authorities were contacted by Interpol in Manchester

A British hiker who went missing in the Pyrenees on Monday has been found dead, Spanish authorities have said.

The 70-year-old man, from London, was discovered after his disappearance sparked a search-and-rescue operation.

Mountain rescue specialists from the Spanish Civil Guard said he was found at 13:00 local time on Thursday near the Aspe peak in the western Pyrenees, in the north-east of the country.

The Civil Guard said the hiker was located by three members of the search-and-rescue team who contacted an air unit, which transferred him to a nearby mountain refuge.

The alarm was raised in Spain, it said, at about 18:00 on Monday when the authorities were contacted by Interpol's Manchester office with the co-ordinates of an electronic bracelet the man was wearing.

Interpol had concerns he could be either injured or lost.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”