A British man who died in an avalanche while skiing off-piste in the French Alps has been named as a retired company director.

Neil Willetts, 56, was buried under tonnes of snow after he was engulfed by a huge snowslide in the popular resort of La Plagne on January 11.

The tragedy happened in the early afternoon, and officials revealed that Mr Willetts was not carrying an avalanche transmitter which would have helped to locate him.

In the event of a snow fall, the device is activated, and it helps rescuers ‘home in’ on anyone caught in an avalanche and saves valuable time.

Skiers are also advised to wear an airbag which also deploys in the event of a slide and helps those caught in a slide to ‘ride’ the snow.

More than 50 people were involved in the search and rescue for Mr Willetts, with ski instructors, mountain guides and a helicopter-deployed dog involved.

As a result of not having a transmitter or airbag it took rescuers almost an hour to find him and he was under 2.5 metres (8ft) of snow and declared dead at the scene.

Officials said Mr Willetts was skiing without a guide and was close to another group who then raised the alarm as the wall of snow slid down a steep gully at Verdons Sud.

Neil Willetts, 56, was buried under tonnes of snow after he was engulfed by a huge snowslide in the popular resort of La Plagne on January 11

More than 50 people were involved in the search and rescue for Mr Willetts, with ski instructors, mountain guides and a helicopter-deployed dog involved

Avalanche warnings in the area were high on the day of the tragedy and Mr Willets was one of two people, who were killed that weekend – the other was a French instructor.

La Plagne’s official website warns skiers not to go off piste unless they are properly equipped or have a professional guide with them.

Avalanche Bulletins are posted daily which give indications of the risk. On the day Mr Willets was killed the alert level was 3 out of 5.

Officials in La Plagne have warned all winter of ‘complicated and unstable snow’ which has created elevated avalanche risks.

Slopes manager at La Plagne, Luc Nicolino, said: ’It’s a kind of mille-feuille with many hidden, fragile layers.’

Mr Willets lived in Dudley, West Midlands, and was a director of D S Willetts, a family steel business that was formed 40 years ago.

He then retired and set up Star Sports Massage, and the Facebook page of his firm is illustrated with several photographs of Mr Willetts skiing in France.

A relative of his said: ‘It was a tragic accident – he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mr Willets lived in Dudley, West Midlands, and was a director of D S Willetts, a family steel business that was formed 40 years ago

It took rescuers almost an hour to find Mr Willets as he was under 2.5 metres (8ft) of snow without a transmitter or airbag

‘By putting it out there that he had gone off piste it made him seem like he was being reckless, but he wasn’t.

‘Neil had 40 years’ skiing experience. He had planned to be out there for one month and had been there for a week when it (the accident) happened.

‘He’d been with a friend, who had gone home and another friend had come out to join him. That person was with him at the time, but they weren’t with a guide, they were on their own.’

Following the tragedy French snowboard champion Marion Haerty, 34, posted on her social media a photo of her and others taking part in the search.

She wrote:’ Today was a beautiful day in the mountains. Until now we participated in the search for a victim caught in an avalanche on the side of the tracks, no VAT. (transmitter)

‘Moments like this put everything in perspective. The mountain is beautiful, but it does not forgive. The VAT, (transmitter) the shovel, the probe, it’s not an option.

‘It’s not “for the others.” It’s a responsibility to yourself and to the people you hang out with.

‘Someone won’t be going home today. If this message can avoid even one drama, then it’s worth sharing. Take care of yourself. Form yourself. Gear up.’

Meanwhile just hours before the avalanche, Frederic Bonevie, president of the association of station track directors in the French Alps, had recorded a warning to skiers to be on their guard for avalanches when off piste.

Speaking on Instagram he said: ‘Extreme caution is recommended when skiing off piste, the risks are high and the mountains are extremely delicate with the high levels of snow.

‘Be extremely careful when you are skiing and wait for conditions to stabilise before going off piste and more challenging routes.

‘An avalanche can happen at all times of day and night, your security is our priority, so please comply with instructions.’

Mr Willetts was one of six people to die the weekend he was killed and so far this winter 28 people have been killed in avalanches or while skiing off piste according to French authorities.

The Alps have been hit by several fatal avalanches this season and only last week two other Britons were killed in nearby Val d’Isere.

Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, died after their instructor – who survived – allegedly ignored safety warnings and led them into an area that was later hit and they were swept away.

Their deaths followed a rare, day-long red alert across the whole region.