Drugged Brit who was 'robbed' by unlicensed Russian cab driver found frozen to death

A British man, who had been reported missing after allegedly being robbed by an unlicensed minicab driver on the outskirts of Moscow, has been found frozen to death.

Nicolas Scott Lazareff, 21, a dual British-French national, went missing in early hours of 15 December after leaving a nightclub in the city centre.

The University of Manchester graduate hailed a lift with his brother, Alexis, and a female friend. The driver allegedly gave the two men a beer, which was spiked, before robbing the trio and kicking them from the vehicle into the cold in an unfamiliar area in the outskirts of the city.

Lazareff staggered into a forest and could not be found by his friends despite a long search. He was reported missing by the French Embassy on Saturday.

He was found dead on Sunday near the village of Chelobityevo, north of Moscow. Medical examiners believe he died of hypothermia.

The cab driver has been arrested by police.

In a statement to The Times,Scott Lazareff's mother, criticised the British embassy in Moscow for its inaction in the search for her son, and praised the actions of the French embassy and Moscow police.

She said: "I had a pathetic call every now and then from the Foreign Office saying 'have you heard from your son?' when I thought they would be ringing me with information about him. After their latest phone call, asking if I'd heard anything, I found out that Nicolas's body had been found, through Russian media."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Following the death of a British national in Russia, we are providing support to their family and are in touch with the local authorities."