"Treacherous" weather suspends search for pair missing from Ben Nevis
A major search for two experienced climbers missing on Britain's highest mountain has been suspended due to "treacherous" weather conditions.
Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, from the Bradford area of West Yorkshire, were climbing on Ben Nevis, in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, over the weekend.
The alarm was raised on Monday afternoon when the couple were reported to be overdue in returning from the expedition.
It is believed they had been camping in a green tent behind the Charles Inglis Clark (CIC) memorial hut on the north side of the mountain.
The hunt for the pair - involving police, mountain rescue teams and search dogs - entered its second day on Tuesday as fears for their safety grew.
But after five hours of searching, it was decided that conditions were too dangerous to continue for now.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) said 80mph to 90mph winds had been making the temperature feel like minus 20C.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Whilst police inquiries remain ongoing, search efforts have been suspended on Ben Nevis due to treacherous weather conditions."
Linda Sinclair speaks to John Stevenson from Lochaber Mountain Rescue:-