Houses evacuated near home of Saad al-Hilli

Police today evacuated two streets near the home of the British family shot dead on holiday in the French Alps, amid concerns over "items" found during a search.

Officers did not reveal exactly what had been found, but residents were asked to leave their homes and jouranlists were moved back from the scene.

It comes after the girl of four who survived the shooting spree returned to the UK, while her seriously injured older sister has now come out of a coma following the attack that left their parents dead.

Zeena al-Hilli flew home with carers yesterday as seven-year-old Zainab, seen as a key witness in the killings, recovered consciousness after being shot and beaten.

Their father Saad al-Hilli, aged 50, was murdered in his car alongside his wife, Iqbal, and an older Swedish woman five days ago while the family holidayed in the picturesque region.