The family of a teenage rugby player who's in a coma in hospital have spoken today of 'willing' him to wake up for the New Year.

Jordan Dowen, 15, was struck by a car as he cycled to school on the last day before the Christmas break.

He suffered serious head injuries and was airlifted to Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, where he has spent the last 12 days.

The teenager remains in a medically induced coma, but family and friends are 'willing' him to get better on social media.

His parents Sherridan and Joanne Dowen, who live in Hunstanton, have been at his bedside over the Christmas period.

Mrs Dowen said: 'I'm confident he will pull through; that's because of the quality of care he's getting at Addenbrooke's. He's in the best place.'

Her husband, who is managing director of Lynn Star transport distribution company, based in King's Lynn, said the teenager was 'stable' at present.

He said: 'We have had some big ups and downs. He's sedated and they are constantly changing the levels of sedation he's under.

'We talk to him every day, and hope he hears what we are saying.'

Mrs Dowen said that, while it had been a terrible Christmas, they would 'make up for it when Jordan was better'.

She managed to go home a few times over Christmas, to help wrap presents and see their other children.

She added: 'We have been blown away by the support and kindness of everyone, both in the local community and further afield, complete strangers have been sending messages of support and willing Jordan back to us.

'People have been posting comments from the rugby world, including from the London Scottish club. All the good will has really helped us emotionally.

'We would also like to say a huge thanks to all the emergency services. They have been outstanding from the moment the paramedics attended the scene of the incident.

'The air ambulance crew, nurses, doctors and all the staff at Addenbrooke's critical care unit who we depend on at times like this; they have worked tirelessly across the Christmas period to restore our son to us.'

She also thanked the Sea Life Centre in Hunstanton and the town's Lodge Hotel, for their kindness towards their other children who had to get through Christmas without them.

Meanwhile, a #timetowakeup campaign was set up on on Twitter to will Jordan to get better by family friend Duncan Goose, who founded the One Water brand, which has raised millions of pounds for humanitarian water projects.

It's been a huge success and Mrs Dowen said 'a source of comfort for the family trending almost 51,000 hits'.

Mr Goose's sister, the actress Claire Goose, who played nurse Tina Seabrook in the BBC television drama Casualty and DS Mel Silver in Waking the Dead, has also taken to social media to will the teenager to recover.

She said the response for the youngster on Twitter had been 'amazing'.

The teenager plays for West Norfolk Rugby Club's under 16s team, and John Mellor, the club's chairman of youth and mini-rugby, said: 'Our thoughts are with Jordan and his family at this stage.'

Police are urging witnesses to the incident to come forward.

It happened at around 8.45am on Friday, December 18, when a green Mini Cooper, travelling along King's Lynn Road towards Old Hunstanton, was involved in a collision with the cyclist, at the junction of Park Lane and Downs Road.

The road was blocked while emergency services attended and re-opened around 1.30pm.

Witnesses should call PC Michael Edwards at Swaffham roads policing on 101.