Climbers `acquit' colleague

British mountain guides have "acquitted" one of their colleagues of negligence in a fatal accident in the Alps, contrary to the ruling of a High Court judge.

Scottish-based David Cuthbertson, 49, was said by Mr Justice Dyson to have ignored "elementary and fundamental" practice to protect Gerald Hedley who fell to his death in July 1990. Following the ruling last June, Mr Hedley's six-year-old son was awarded damages of pounds 150,000 from the guide's insurers. However the climbing world never accepted the judgment and after a hearing at which Mr Cuthbertson was given a "thorough interrogation", the professional standards committee of the British Mountain Guides found he was "not at fault".