Briton missing after avalanche

A British national is missing after he was caught in an avalanche in Spain's Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Foreign Office said.

John Hogbin, 42, was with two fellow mountaineers when the avalanche struck on Sunday to the west of a ski resort above Granada city.

Mr Hogbin was originally from York but is believed to have lived in Spain for some time.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware that a British National is reported missing in the Sierra Nevada mountains on February 20.

"We are in contact with the Spanish authorities who have resumed a search of the area.

"We are also in the process of contacting next of kin to offer consular assistance."

Search teams employed two helicopters and rescue dogs on Sunday afternoon to try to locate the missing man but without success.

The avalanche was one of the biggest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in many years.