A West Cumbrian father and his two-year-old daughter remain in a critical condition after a road crash near Cockermouth on Tuesday.

Their family have been keeping a bedside vigil.

The father, understood to be Adam Pearson, 22, of Wilson Terrace, Broughton Moor, and his daugher Ava, two, were airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. 

Police said he had life-threatening injuries and his daughter had serious injuries.

A Broughton Moor villager said: "Mr Pearson is very much liked. The village is a sombre place today and there are many of us wishing both of them well and praying for their recovery."

He said Mr Pearson had extended family in the area who were obviously devastated by the crash.

He was driving, with his daughter in a BMW 115 which was involved in a collision with a United Utilities tanker.

Police and other emergency services were called to the scene of the accident, near Strawberry How, just after 2pm. 

A 60-year-old man, of Gosforth, who was driving the van was treated at the scene.

The A66 was closed from the Oakhurst roundabout at Cockermouth to Dubwath, near Bassenthwaite Lake until later on that evening. 

A spokeswoman for the North West Ambulance Service said: "Air ambulances were called from Langwathby and Durham Tees Valley airport and the patients were transferred to hospital."

It is understood that Mr Pearson, a former Keswick School pupil, was a volunteer football coach at Broughton Moor Primary School in 2010.

Last night, police confirmed that he and his daughter were in a “serious but stable condition.”

According to Mr Pearson's page on social networking website Facebook, he is from Workington but lives in Broughton Moor and works for Dearham company Ashcroft Plant as an apprentice buyer.

He also studied at Carlisle College.

Police are carrying out an investigation and are asking for witnesses to call them on 101.