The 28-year-old mountaineer fell down a vertical gully on the east side of the Torrecerredo – the highest peak of the Cantabrian Mountains – on Thursday afternoon, the Spanish Civil Guard for the Asturias region said.

The fall took place at around 2.20pm according to reports from Spanish emergency services.

A mountain rescue team was deployed aboard a helicopter and they discovered the man’s remains after flying over the area.

Two specialists were lowered to retrieve the man’s body, alongside his belongings which had been scattered during the fall.

The incident occurred during the descent from the Torrecerredo peak, at approximately 65ft below the summit, the Civil Guard said.

The Brits’ body was transported to La Morgal, a regional sports and aviation facility in Llanera near the Asturian city of Gijon.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following reports of the death of a British national in Spain.”

Torrecerredo, which has an elevation of approximately 8,690ft, is the highest peak of the Picos de Europa mountain range.

Sepa Asturias, the public body in charge of emergency services for the Asturias region, said it also responded to an incident in the Jou Sin Tierre area of the mountain range on Thursday afternoon.

A 54-year-old French woman was subsequently transported to hospital after she suffered a leg injury, according to Sepa Asturias.