Two British hikers die as fires hit campsites in the South of France

A BRITISH couple have been killed and thousands of holidaymakers forced to flee as forest fires sweep through the South of France.

The elderly couple were hiking in woods in Vidauban, in southern France, and are thought to be among three who have died.

But with up to a dozen fires raging in the region, one of the most popular holiday destinations for Britons, hundreds of holidaymakers had to spend the night sleeping on the floor in local halls after being evacuated from their campsites.

A heatwave across Europe has left the countryside tinder dry and President Jacques Chirac has vowed to impose stiff penalties on anyone found to be starting fires deliberately.

Soldiers have been drafted in along with Italian firefighters to help local firemen fight the blaze, but there is no sign of the hot weather breaking this week. Forecasters predict the dry weather will continue with temperatures reaching 36C.

Families fled with only what they could carry and many have lost their belongings as the fire destroyed caravans and tents in its path.

Plumes of smoke can be seen for miles and one of the worst fires has destroyed more than 7,500 acres of woodland near St Tropez.

Thousands of locals have also been evacuated from their villages and people have been told to head for the coastal areas as the fires are mainly affecting the mountainous areas north of the coast. Some roads in the area have been closed to traffic.

The body of another woman was found near Sainte-Maxime.

President Chirac, touring French Polynesia, expressed his sympathy for the bereaved families and praised the "devotion of those who have been bravely fighting the fires for days on end, sometimes at risk to their own lives".

Southern and eastern parts of France have been hit hard by drought conditions and some areas have not seen significant rainfall in two months.

Restrictions have been put on washing cars, watering lawns and filling swimming pools and some farmers, who have warned their crops are down by 60 per cent, have had their crop-irrigation limited to alternate days.

Here, a Foreign Of f ic e spokesman said: "We have had reports of two British people missing near Vidauban, in southern France. French police have confirmed they have found two bodies but we have no confirmation of the nationality of the deceased.

"British officials in France are urgently seeking further details from the French authorities and consular officials here have been in contact with the next of kin of the missing persons."

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