British hiker, 70, found dead in Pyrenees

A search was sparked for the 70-year-old after the Spanish authorities were contacted by Interpol in Manchester
A search was sparked for the man after the Spanish authorities were contacted by Interpol in Manchester [SPANISH CIVIL GUARD ]

A British hiker who went missing in the Pyrenees on Monday has been found dead, Spanish authorities have said.

The 70-year-old man, from London, was discovered after his disappearance sparked a search-and-rescue operation.

Mountain rescue specialists from the Spanish Civil Guard said he was found at 13:00 local time on Thursday near the Aspe peak in the western Pyrenees, in the north-east of the country.

The Civil Guard said the hiker was located by three members of the search-and-rescue team who contacted an air unit, which transferred him to a nearby mountain refuge.

The alarm was raised in Spain, it said, at about 18:00 on Monday when the authorities were contacted by Interpol's Manchester office with the co-ordinates of an electronic bracelet the man was wearing.

Interpol had concerns he could be either injured or lost.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Another search is due to get under way later on the Spanish island of Tenerife for the missing British teenager Jay Slater.

The 19-year-old has not been heard from since the morning of 17 June, after he told a friend he was lost in the mountains and had 1% battery on his phone.

His last known location was in a mountainous area near the village of Masca, which is about 40 minutes' drive from where he was staying.

In 2021 Esther Dingley, from Durham, was found dead after trekking solo in the Pyrenees.