Eighty-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura has become the oldest man to reach the top of Mount Everest, Belfast Telegraph said.

Miura, who also conquered the 29,035ft peak when he was 70 and 75, reached the summit at 9.05am local time, according to his support team in Tokyo. Miura called them from the summit to report the news.

Nepalese mountaineering official Gyanendra Shrestha, at Everest base camp, confirmed that Miura had reached the summit, making him the oldest person to do so.

The previous age record holder was Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan, who accomplished the feat at 76 in 2008.

Sherchan, now 81, was preparing for his own attempt on the summit next week.