A BRITISH tourist died suddenly after climbing 842 steps up a mountain trail to visit a clifftop village in Italy.

The holidaymaker, 76, collapsed in front of hundreds of other tourists who fought in vain to save him, local reports say.

The unnamed Brit suffered a suspected heart attack after scaling the steep trail on Mount Portofino yesterday.

The spectacular Via San Rocco is a popular route for walkers in northern Italy overlooking the Ligurian Sea.

Reports in Italy say the holidaymaker had walked from nearby Camogli to San Rocco.

He collapsed in the churchyard in the village after reaching the top.

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Other hikers tried to save him but he was pronounced dead.

The Hiker Project, a platform for walkers, lists the Via San Rocco as “intermediate”.

It says the last third of the hike is particularly difficult, with gradients of up to 22 degrees. 

San Rocco is popular with hikers, who often start at the village before walking through the area. 

It sits roughly 980ft above sea level, and offers elevated views of the Ligurian Sea. 

Last week a British hiker was found dead in the Swiss Alps.

Aidan Roche, 29, had been missing since June 22 when he was halfway through a solo two-week hiking and camping trip.