British snowboarder's body found in French Alps four months after vanishing

French police have recovered the body of a British snowboarder who went missing in the French Alps in January, according to French reports.

The recovered body is thought to be that of John Bromell, 39, from Willingham by Stow, Lincolnshire, who went missing on January 7 at the resort of Tignes.

He had been on the slopes with family during the day but returned alone “for one last run” despite worsening weather amid atrocious conditions across Europe that left thousands stranded.

An aerial search failed to locate Mr Bromell and snowfall and extreme avalanche risk had prevented extensive searches on the ground for the missing Briton.

Local newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré cited police as saying that the body of a 39-year old Briton was found over the weekend between the lakes of Tignes and Chevril.

Fishermen found him in a stream and “immediately phoned the gendarmerie, who proceeded to identify the body,” said Le Dauphiné.

Mr Bromell was last seen taking the Paquis ski lift in the Tovière sector of Tignes at around 4.30pm that day.

His disappearance followed the death of Owen Lewis, 22, from Coventry, whose frozen body was found after he went missing from Risoul, another resort in the French Alps, the previous week.

This ski season has been particularly deadly in the French Alps due to extreme snowfall and avalanche risks.

By mid-March, there had been 23 reported deaths, more than the two previous seasons combined.

Freak snowfall saw thousands trapped in Zermatt with scores forced to be heliported to safety. Parts of the French Alps saw the heaviest fall in 30 years.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said:  "Our staff is supporting the family of a British man following his death and we are in contact with the French authorities."