British boy, 7, dies in skiing accident while on holiday with family in the French Alps

The unnamed boy reportedly asked his mother if he could make a descent alone before going off piste and falling off a 300ft cliff

The French Alps, where the boy was on holiday (JEAN-PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images)

A seven-year-old British boy has died in a skiing accident while on holiday with his family in the French Alps.

He had become separated from his mother, brothers and sisters in Flaine, a resort in the Haute-Savoie region, when he disappeared on Friday.

Local newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré reported that an emergency rescue operation was launched and the child was eventually spotted by a helicopter two hours later, lying at the foot of a cliff.

Rescue workers reached the boy but were unable to save him, saying he had died "instantly" in the fall.

A spokesperson for the emergency services told the AFP news agency that he went off piste after asking his mother if he could make the last descent of the day alone.

“He hit a rocky outcrop, then fell 50 to 100 metres (160 to 320 feet),” he added.

Michel Ollagnon, an officer with the Bonneville mountain rescue service, said the boy appears to have got lost after separating from his family.

They scoured the slopes for him and his mother raised the alarm at around 7pm, reports said.

An investigation has been launched by French authorities and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was aware of the death.

"We can confirm the death of a British national in Flaine, France, on 10 April," a spokesperson said.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

Additional reporting by AP