Briton missing on helicopter flight

Hopes were fading for a British woman who has been missing since the helicopter she was flying in over a mountainous area of New Zealand's South Island lost contact with air traffic controllers five days ago.

A team of five rescue helicopters has been scouring the glaciers, crevasses and forests of Fiordland National Park since Saturday morning, when Hannah Timmings, from Cheltenham and pilot Campbell Montgomerie, from Hamilton, New Zealand, were reported missing in poor weather conditions, police in Te Anau said.

With no sign of the four-seater privately-owned helicopter, the chances of finding its occupants alive were growing slim, Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen said.

Ms Timmings, 28, and Mr Montgomerie took off at about 7.50am on Saturday local time (1850 GMT Friday)

Just under an hour later Mr Montgomerie radioed Milford Sound air traffic control saying he was in cloud and asking for directions through the mountains.

Sgt Jensen said: "There was a discussion of around six minutes but then the control tower answered one of his questions and there was no response. That was the last contact we had with the helicopter."

After local media appeals, hikers in the area reported seeing the helicopter early on Saturday morning but there have been no sightings since then, Sgt Jensen said.

"It's very mountainous, rugged terrain, with snow, glaciers, crevasses and forests," he said.

"Obviously something happened to the helicopter shortly after that transmission with Milford.

"As time goes on the chances of survival in the area become less and less."

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