Two British men have gone missing while hiking in the Dolomites mountain range in northern Italy.

Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, from London, were last heard from on Jan 1.

The pair did not check into their return flight on Monday.

Several of Mr Ziriat’s friends are understood to have flown out from the UK to help with the search.

Their last known location is believed to be near a hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda on Lake Garda.

Italian authorities have begun a search and rescue operation but emergency services say recent snowfall has made it difficult to reach the area.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow