A British man has been shot dead by a hunter while cycling in the French Alps.

Marc Sutton, a 34-year-old restaurant owner, was riding a mountain bike when he was shot on Saturday evening.

Prosecutors in France said they were investigating the gunman on suspicion of "aggravated manslaughter".

Prosecutor Philippe Toccanier said the death was believed to be an accident but the cyclist "couldn't be confused with game, as he had a coloured helmet and a coloured mountain bike".

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Sky News: "We are in contact with local authorities about the death of a British man in France and we are providing assistance to his family."


The 22-year-old hunter was taken to hospital for shock.

Image: The incident happened near Montriond. Pic: Yvan Tisseyre / OT Vallee d'Aulps

The victim - who had been cycling on a well-used but hard to access mountain track - was shot as a hunting party of up to 18 people made its way through woods near Montriond, according to reports.

Sky News understands that locals are writing to the mayors of Morzine, Montriond and the prefecture in Annecy, to call for a suspension of hunting during the police investigation.

Mr Sutton, originally from Wales, lived in the small town of Les Gets, southeast France, for the past four years.

The death is the latest in a series of fatal shootings involving hunters in France in recent months.

In December, a 59-year-old hiker was reportedly killed by a wild boar hunter close to the village of Taulignan.

In October 2017, a 69-year-old woman was said to have died after being hit by a hunter's bullet as she sat in her garden in Taussac.

And in September 2017, a 13-year-old boy was apparently mistakenly shot dead by his grandfather during a hunting trip near the village of Triaize.