A CLIMBER plunged 1500ft to his death on Ben Nevis close to Aonach Mor, where four people died earlier in the week after being caught in Scotland's worst avalanche tragedy.

In a separate incident, a 26-year-old climber escaped death after falling more than 900ft on Sgorr Dhearg, near Ballachulish.

Police yesterday named the latest victim as Paul Fooks, 38, of Windmill Lane, Nottingham. Rescuers found his body on Sgurr a Mhaim after a four-hour search. Lochaber mountain rescue team and a helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth made the search.

The alarm was raised by three other people in the climbing party after Mr Fooks fell at about 5pm on Hogmanay.

A police spokesman said: ''It seems as if Mr Fooks lost his grip and slid down the hill. He had fallen about 1500 feet.''

Mr Michael Burnham, 26, an engineer, of Effingham Road, Bristol, cheated death after plunging more than 900ft on Sgurr Dhearg.

He is recovering from minor injuries in the Belford Hospital at Fort William after his fall from the 3600ft peak on Hogmanay.

Glencoe rescue team member Davy Gunn said: ''It's another amazing escape. He seems to have escaped very lightly.

''The weather was good when we started out on the hill, but the wind got up to around 70 mph when we reached the area of the fall.''

Mr Burnham is in a comfortable condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, friends of the four climbers killed in the Aonach Mor avalanche told of their ''living nightmare'' after they reported them missing. They said they were still in ''a state of shock and disbelief'' after the tragedy on Tuesday morning. In a statement, nine people who were in Scotland with them paid tribute to those killed and said they simply ''ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time''.

Emma Ray, 29, her boyfriend Paul Hopkins, 28, from Wilmington, Kent, Matthew Lewis, 28, and 30-year-old Ian Edwards, both from Dartford, Kent, were killed when the avalanche struck.

Their friends Sarah Finch, 25, boyfriend Steven Newton, 24, also from Dartford, and the group's Scottish instructor Roger Wild survived for more than 16 hours under tons of snow before being rescued.

Mr Wild, 43, of Argyll Road, Fort William, was released from Belford Hospital yesterday after being treated for mild hypothermia. Miss Finch and Mr Newton, who both suffered minor injuries, were also discharged.

Miss Finch and Mr Newton made a brief appearance on the hospital steps.

Looking shocked and stunned, they held hands and battled to hold back tears throughout a two minute photo-call.

The climbers were among a group of 15 staying on a houseboat near Fort William for a New Year activity holiday.

The nine said: ''We will never get over the loss of four wonderful, loyal friends or forget their zest for life, their lively, fun companionship and the many great times we have shared together. They were all so popular and loved by everyone that we know we will not be alone in this.''

The group had travelled from Kent to Scotland on Monday for a week-long break. Many knew each other from their schooldays and had gone to Venture Scouts together.

In their statement, the friends, who have not been named, said: ''Ian, Matthew, Emma, Paul, Sarah and Steve had been keen and enthusiastic to use their time here to learn and practise basic winter walking skills. They had fully investigated the possibilities and rightly chose to use the services of a fully qualified, professional mountain guide. As always, they entered into the course in high spirits and full of enthusiasm.

''They had done everything right, but still ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.''