The bodies of two climbers missing for almost a fortnight on the world's ninth-highest mountain have been found by rescuers, the Italian ambassador has said.

Tom Ballard, who grew up in the Highlands, and Italian Daniele Nardi have been missing for almost two weeks on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, known as "Killer Mountain".

They set out on February 22 and last made contact on February 24 while at about 6,300 metres (20,700ft).

A search operation was underway this week after four Spanish rescuers were flown to the area by military helicopter on Monday and were joined by Pakistani mountaineer Ali Sadpara at base camp.

Italian Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo said that the search team has confirmed that silhouettes spotted on the mountain were the bodies of Mr Ballard and Mr Nardi and that the search is over.

He tweeted: "With great sadness I inform that the search for @NardiDaniele and Tom Ballard is over as @AlexTxikon and the search team have confirmed that the silhouettes spotted on Mummery at about 5900 meters are those of Daniele and Tom. R.I.P."

Mr Ballard, 30, was born in Derbyshire but moved to the Scottish Highlands in 1995.

That same year his mother, Alison Hargreaves, died on K2 when she was 33 - months after becoming the first woman to conquer Everest unaided.