Briton dies in Alps ski accident

A British man has died in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

John Atkinson, 63, was reportedly on holiday with his wife and children when he crashed into a rock in the resort of Les Deux Alpes yesterday.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said today: "We are aware of the death of a British national at the Deux Alpes yesterday and we are attempting to contact the next of kin to offer consular assistance."

A spokeswoman for the police in Les Deux Alpes said the family were in "shock" and too upset to talk about what happened.

She added: "He was on holiday with his wife and two children - they arrived two days ago.

"He was skiing with his children on a blue piste at around 3pm yesterday.

"It was snowing and the visibility was not good.

"He crashed into a rock."

She said Mr Atkinson lived in Salisbury, Wiltshire.