Three people are dead and four are fighting for their lives after a crash involving a school coach.

The coach carrying children hit a minibus and a car just before 3.47pm on the A66 near Keswick in Cumbria, injuring 35 others.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Police said: "Police and fire are in attendance along with six helicopters, RAF as well as air ambulances, six ambulances, non-emergency ambulances, rapid response vehicles, Basics doctors and mountain rescue teams. Serious casualties have been airlifted to Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Preston A&E."

The A66 has been closed while emergency services deal with the scene.

Barry Pickthall, who runs coach firm JB Pickthall, said the coach involved was from his company and was carrying schoolchildren from Keswick High School.

Mr Pickthall said the 49-seater coach was not full but had around 30 pupils on board. It was a usual daily school run taking pupils to their homes in Cockermouth around 13 miles away.