Two British climbers killed in an avalanche in the French Alps have been named by the Foreign Office.

John Taylor and Steve Barber were among nine people killed on Mont Maudit, near Chamonix, on Thursday.

They were from Upper Poppleton, a village west of York, and were climbing to raise money for a local hospice.

A third Briton killed in the avalanche was named on Thursday evening as experienced climber Roger Payne, who had been working as a mountain guide.

Mr Payne, originally from Hammersmith, west London, was a former general secretary of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC).

The trio had been part of a 28-strong group traversing Mont Maudit before dawn in an attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc.

According to the Prefecture de la Haute-Savoie, two people from Spain, three Germans and one Swiss were the others killed in the avalanche.

A church service is to be held in Chamonix on Saturday in memory of the dead climbers, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said.

'Great sadness'

Estelle O'Hara, headteacher of Poppleton Ousebank School, wrote in a letter to parents: "It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that two of the climbers killed in yesterday's avalanche... were parents from Poppleton Ousebank.

"The children have been informed and school staff have been supporting them throughout the day, providing a caring shoulder and answering any questions.

"We understand that the climb was to raise money for St Leonard's Hospice and so we will be collecting on their behalf."

St Leonard's was founded in 1985 in York and provides care for people with life-threatening illnesses.

James Alexander, Labour leader of City of York Council, said he was deeply saddened by the deaths of Mr Taylor and Mr Barber.

"I would like to offer their families and friends my condolences and offer any support and assistance we can provide at this difficult time."

The party is believed to have reached 4,000m (13,120ft) when the avalanche struck.

The alarm was sounded at 05:25 local time (04:25 BST) by an injured climber on the route, which is a popular one for people trekking towards Mont Blanc.

The French authorities say the avalanche was caused by heavy snow and was triggered by strong winds. They described it as "the most deadly" in recent years.

Eric Fournier, mayor of Chamonix, told a press conference on Friday: "It is difficult to foresee such kinds of avalanche.

"The guide knows the dangers and risks of avalanche, especially during July and August."

Speaking alongside Mr Fournier, the British ambassador to France Sir Peter Ricketts, thanked the French authorities for their support.

'Climb to live'

"The consular team is here to support victims' families who have travelled to Chamonix," Sir Peter added.

Nine other climbers of French, German and Swiss nationality were airlifted to hospital in Sallanches with minor injuries.

Mont Maudit - meaning the cursed mountain - is the third-highest peak in the Mont Blanc massif range, rising to 4,465m.

Mountain guide Richard Mansfield describes how the avalanche may have happened

Mr Payne has been described as "larger than life" by his friend of 35 years, Alan Hinkes.

The climber told the BBC: "You do push [the risks] to the back of your mind... we do not climb to die, we climb to live. It does enhance our lives.

"Roger was doing what he wanted to do... he was helping two people to get to the top... he will be sorely missed."

Mr Payne is understood to have been living in Leysin, Switzerland, with New Zealand-born wife Julie-Ann Clyma.

Sir Chris Bonington told ITV on Friday: "There's no way that anyone could have predicted [the avalanche]. Roger was an expert on avalanche danger... but that doesn't make any difference, they are unpredictable."

The BMC said about 20,000 people a year climb Mont Blanc, and that the mountain had been deemed "safe to climb" on Thursday.

But according to British mountaineer Kenton Cool, the area was known as something of an avalanche "blackspot".