Bodies of two British climbers found on the Matterhorn

The bodies of two British climbers who went missing in bad weather on the Matterhorn in the Alps have been recovered.

Italian rescue workers said that the bodies were found in a ravine at 4,000 metres above sea level on the mountain, which straddles the border between Italy and Switzerland.

The two men sent out an alert on Friday as they were caught on the mountain during a storm and temperatures plummeted.

Emergency service personnel attempted to locate them but were hampered by high winds.

The pair have been named locally as Peter Rumble and Dennis Robinson, both aged in their 60s.

A Foreign Office spokesman earlier confirmed that two British nationals had died, but did not identify them, saying only: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals in Mount Cervino [the Matterhorn], Italy and we are in touch with local authorities."

The deaths come just a week after Pippa Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's sister, scaled the mountain in memory of her late brother-in-law.