The family of a Bradford man who went missing after a late night swim in the Lake District has been told by police to "expect the worst".

Police frogmen today resumed their search for Nadim Rashid who was camping with friends when he went off for a swim in Thirlmere water on Sunday night.

When the 32-year-old failed to return to his friends, who were having a barbecue, they called the police at about 11pm.

A team of six divers from across the North West were called in and spent more than 12 hours searching the five-mile long lake yesterday.

A helicopter flew in from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and scoured the area around the Cumbrian beauty spot.

Police officers and dogs combed the woods around the water which is about two miles from Keswick. And mountain rescue teams also helped with the search but found no trace of Mr Rashid.

Cumbrian police spokesman Mike Head said today that Mr Rashid's family from Bradford was at Thirlmere waiting for news of a sighting.

He said: "Thirlmere is a reservoir owned by United Utilities, where swimming is normally discouraged. If he's gone into the lake his chances of survival are very, very slim.

"The water is very cold. Even in the summer only the top six inches get warm but underneath it is freezing. The family has been told to expect the worse."

Inspector David Barr, based at Penrith, said they were treating the incident as a missing person.

"We know the man was camping with five other people somewhere near Thirlmere," he said.

"He had gone off for a swim and when he didn't come back his friends called the police.

"The underwater search team was out there all day and according to those at the scene there isn't a strong undercurrent.

"The divers had done their maximum amount of diving for the day and were to resume their search.

"Officers will be searching the surrounding woodlands until nightfall."

Mr Rashid's friends were also believed to still be in the Lake District.