A British woman has died after being fatally shot by her companion during a wild boar hunt in north-western France.

The 67-year-old was shot “above the heart” during a hunt in the Goudelin area in Brittany on Sunday, according to a press release published by the prosecutors’ office and cited by local media.

Citing the release, Le Télégramme newspaper says the hunting party were crossing a cornfield when the woman was shot by her companion.

The release added that a 69-year-old man, in “circumstances yet to be determined”, fired his rifle “with the barrel pointing towards the back”.

The woman died at 12.20pm in a hospital in Saint-Brieuc.

Prosecutors said a 69-year-old man has been taken into custody as part of a manslaughter investigation.

Although the exact circumstances of the incident are yet to be established, prosecutors said initial tests showed that the man had not consumed alcohol or drugs.

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The prosecution said a post-mortem is due to take place on Wednesday.

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The mayor of Goudelin, Laurent Le Faucheur, told La Telegramme: “It’s a shock for us, it’s a couple we knew well”.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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