The two men are believed to have climbed Mont Blanc from the French side. Photo: Philippe Kurlapski

A British mountaineer has died after falling more than 3,000ft in the Alps.

The off-duty soldier was with another man on Mont Blanc this morning when he slipped on snow and fell 1,000m.

The man, who has not been named, was coming down the Italian side of the mountain after ascending the 4,810m (15,781ft) peak from the France.

He fell to his death about 8am today and Italian police brought his body down to Courmayeur.

Officials said the man, who was not roped to his companion, was walking across an ice field when he slipped. Conditions were good, the authorities said.

The dead man suffered head injuries in the fall. The other climber, who was also a member of the armed forces, was uninjured but shaken by the incident.