A British tourist volunteering at a school in Nepal is among those believed to be safe.

Paula Nightingale, 45, is said to have escaped serious harm when the earthquake struck as she was helping out at the Mondo Challenge Foundation project in Helambu.

Her friends in West Wittering, West Sussex, were anxious for news of the "kind-hearted chatterbox" following the disaster.

It finally came the following day when a school trustee sent a tweet confirming that Ms Nightingale, a former cruise ship director, was safe.

Friend Susie Macmillan said: "We were pretty frantic, waiting for news.

"Paula was adopted but both her adoptive parents had died and she doesn't really have any family so we were worried that nobody would know to look for her.

"My husband said we would give it a couple days then he would get his backpack on and go looking for her.

"Paula and I have been very close friends for years, and my children all know her as Auntie P.

"We were obviously very concerned, and then the tweet finally came. It was just such a relief."

Mrs Macmillan said she has since tried to obtain further details of her friend's location but without any success.

She said: "I think it's quite hard for anyone to get signal over there at the moment. I spoke to Paula on Friday and she was giggling because she was able to get on the school's wifi for a change.

"She is actually due back in the UK on Thursday, and at the moment we have no idea if she will be able to get home. She's a spiritual person - an absolute angel - so she will stay out there if anyone needs her help."

Mrs Macmillan, who runs an organic farm in Ditchling, added: "We are so grateful to know she is safe. All we want now is to hear from her.

"But we are lucky. There are plenty of people who will still be waiting to hear news of their loved ones."