A 71-year-old Briton died tragically yesterday afternoon when he fell a height of three storeys in George Borg Olivier Street, Rabat, the police said.

Alan Wright, a radio amateur, fell off a ladder while fixing the aerial of his transmitter. Police sources said he was rather unfortunate not to fall onto his own roof but into a shaft, ending up on the roof of a residence below. The accident happened at about 4 p.m.

Mr Wright was married and had been living in Malta for over five years. He moved to Rabat only recently.

On Sunday mornings he often frequented the Malta Amateur Radio League in Attard and was last seen there on January 13. His call sign was 9H1AW.

An on-site inquiry was held. An autopsy will be held this morning. Police Inspector Nezren Grixti is heading investigations.