A KENT firefighter's daughter has been named among the five British victims of Tuesday's coach crash in the Austrian Alps.

Rebecca Earland, 16, from Thorpe Avenue, Tonbridge, was killed when the coach carrying 42 British holidaymakers plunged off a mountain road and tumbled 60m down a slope at Bad Duerrnberg, close to the resort of Hallein, south of Salzburg.

Rebecca, the youngest of the five who died, was a student at Hillview School for Girls at Tonbridge. She was on holiday with her parents and brother, Nathan, when the accident happened.

Her father Geoff Earland, 48, is a Divisional Officer with the Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and works in Maidstone. He has been with the brigade for about 30 years.

Both Mr Earland and his wife, Celia, 47, were seriously hurt in the crash and have been detained in hospital. Mrs Earland's condition has been described as "critical". Their son Nathan, who is 17, escaped with minor injuries.

It is understood that Rebecca had recently taken 10 GCSEs and had gone on holiday with her family to relax while awaiting her exam results, due to be published on August 26.

Peter Coombs, Kent's chief fire officer, and Derek Dolding, authority chairman, have both expressed their shock at the tragedy and offered their sympathy to Mr Earland and his family.

In a statement, the surviving members Earland family say they are "devastated by Becky’s death" and wish to thank everybody for their support and kindness. They say they are "making steady progress" in hospital and receiving the very best of treatment.

The driver of a minibus that was trying to overtake the coach, named as Johan Prettenthaler, 70, has been charged with causing death by negligence. Police believe his manoeuvre forced the coach off the road.

The other people killed have been named as David Hamilton, 33, from Bournemouth; Marian Ashby, 80, and her son, Robert Ashby, 60, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and mother of three Claire Patel, 39, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

Of the injured, 13 Britons have since been discharged from hospital, but 29 are still being treated.

KM-fm's Ben Biddulph has this report...