An 11-year-old girl from a British family has been shot dead, following a reported dispute between neighbours in north-western France.
French media said the family were in their garden at the time and the girl’s parents were also injured.
The UK’s Foreign Office said it was providing assistance to a British family following a shooting in France.
The incident took place on Saturday evening in Saint-Herbot, a village near Quimper in Brittany.
The suspect, who has been reported to be a Dutch national, and his wife have been arrested, local media reported.
A local resident told media that the girl’s eight-year-old sister raised the alarm and is said to be in shock.
Local prosecutor Carine Halley said the reason for the incident was not yet known, but it appeared there had been a conflict between the neighbours for several years over a plot of land adjoining the two properties.
Marguerite Bleuzen, the mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou commune, said: “We knew the family well. There is a village fête every year and they always came.
“It is incomprehensible to have shot a child. No one can understand how that could have happened.”
A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”