Girl, 11, shot dead in France during 'neighbourly dispute'

An 11-year-old British girl has been reportedly shot dead in the backyard of her family's home in western France.

The girl's father was also shot - during what is believed to be a neighbourly dispute - and is in a critical condition, according to the La Telegramme news website.

The family had been living in the small village of Saint-Herbot in the region of Brittany, for the past few years, local prosecutor, Carine Halley, told French media.

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There had been a conflict for some time with their neighbours over a plot of land adjoining their properties, Halley said.

On Saturday evening, the 11-year-old girl and her eight-year-old sister were playing in their garden when a man appeared and allegedly fired shots into the yard.

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The younger sister was not harmed, but the girls' father was also hit with one of the bullets.

Police have arrested a 71-year-old Dutch man.

The UK's Foreign Office said it was providing assistance to a British family after a shooting in France, the BBC reports.

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