Briton dies in Alps avalanche

A British skier has died in an avalanche on one of the most celebrated off-piste runs in the French Alps.

Neil Seaton, 47, who had followed all the safety rules and was accompanied by a guide, was engulfed by three feet of snow when a block of ice the size of a car caused the avalanche.

Mr Seaton's guide, Philippe Grenier, and his 38-year-old partner were also caught in the accident on the Vallȥ Blanche near Chamonix on Boxing Day.

They were quickly pulled out by another group of skiers. Mr Seaton lost consciousness when a helicopter rescue team dug him out and died from a heart attack. The valley, which runs from Italy into France, claims the lives of about 50 climbers and skiers every year.