British and Australian tourists die in Portugal 'fall'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The pair were found on the beach in Ericeira, about 25 miles north of Lisbon

A British woman and her boyfriend have been found dead on a beach in Portugal after apparently falling from a wall, the Foreign Office has said.

The woman is reported to be Louise Benson, a wildlife conservation worker in her 30s and originally from Bristol.

She and her Australian partner were found on Tuesday in Ericeira, a town 25 miles (40km) north of Lisbon.

Local media report the authorities as saying the pair may have fallen as they recovered a phone or took photographs.

Portuguese officials said the couple were thought to have been on the 30-metre (100ft) high wall before they died.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in touch with local authorities following the death of a British woman in Portugal and are providing support to her family."

Australia's foreign affairs department said they were assisting the family of its citizen.

According to Australian media, the couple left Australia together in January for a holiday and had recently attended a friend's wedding in Portugal.