AN OXFORD student who died during a university ski trip in France could have been killed by mixture of medication and alcohol, French police have said.

Matt Smith, an undergraduate history student at St John's College, Oxford, was found by friends in accommodation in Val Thorens resort in the Alps on Sunday morning.

Yesterday, Jean-Pascal Violet, the state prosecutor in Albertville, told media that the post-mortem examination had revealed no evidence of intervention by a third party. 

He said police suspected the 22-year-old's death was caused by heart failure as a result of mixing medication and alcohol, but said they had no certainty at this stage.

Reports said after the alarm was raised at 8am local time on Sunday, emergency workers attempted to revive Mr Smith from cardio-respiratory arrest, but were unsuccessful. 

The 22-year-old was the college's rep for the Varsity Trip this year.

His father, Howard Smith, a City financial consultant, told the Evening Standard he was still trying to come to terms his son’s sudden death and would be flying out to France. 

He told the Standard: “The most important thing for us is that Matt was with his friends. His friends meant so much to him. He was with everybody skiing, close to the snow, doing what he loved.” 

Thousands of students from Oxford and Cambridge universities attend the popular annual week-long Varsity ski trip, which dates back to 1921.

Mr Smith’s friends described him as a “smashing lad” who was full of “fun and adventure”. 

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who died in France on December 4. We are in contact with the local authorities."

A spokesman for St John’s College said: "We would like to express our deep sadness at the tragic death of Matt Smith, and send our condolences to his family and friends.

"While we await the findings of the official investigation we are offering support to students who may have been affected.

"Members of the college were invited to gather yesterday to remember Matt, and any member of the college who is particularly affected by this sad news was encouraged to contact the Chaplain or any member of the welfare team."