The US Secretary of State John Kerry has been taken to hospital in Switzerland after a biking accident in the nearby French Alps.

Kerry, 71, is in a stable condition and is likely to have suffered a leg injury, a spokesman said.

Kerry was flown by helicopter to Geneva, where he is being examined.

He was in Switzerland for talks on the Iranian nuclear programme, and was due in Madrid on Monday for the signing of a defence deal.

The accident took place in Scionzier, France, some 40km (25 miles) south-east of the Swiss border.

"Paramedics and a physician were on the scene with the secretary's motorcade at the time of the accident," said a statement by the state department.

Kerry "is stable and... did not lose consciousness".

Kerry is known for his love of cycling and often takes his bike with him when he travels.