A British holidaymaker snorkelling in Lake Annecy, France, has discovered a corroded Luger pistol that investigators believe could be the weapon used in the notorious 2012 murders of three members of the al-Hilli family and a French cyclist. Forensic scientists are now examining the gun to determine whether it matches the killings, which have remained one of Europe's most puzzling unsolved crimes for 14 years, potentially offering a significant breakthrough for French police.

The find was made by Kyle, 41, a father-of-two from Wiltshire, who spotted the pistol's grip protruding from sand roughly 50 yards offshore while snorkelling during a family camping trip in August. He recovered it from about 5ft 2in of water near the campsite where Saad al-Hilli, his wife Iqbal, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, and cyclist Sylvain Mollier had stayed before being shot dead near Chevaline in September 2012. Kyle said he was initially searching for lost jewellery and presumed the object was a toy before realising its weight and significance, and expressed hope that the discovery might help investigators finally identify those responsible.