Video report by ITV News Reporter Ivor Bennett

A British climber whose mother died on K2 is missing on a mountain in Pakistan, with a helicopter searching for the man and his Italian companion finding no trace of the mountaineers.

Tom Ballard, who was born in the Peak District, had been attempting to climb Nanga Parbat with Daniele Nardi, from Italy, but the pair have not made contact with their team since Sunday.

A search flight was eventually able to scour the mountains after Pakistan reopened its airspace following a temporary closure over its growing tensions with India.

A statement from Mr Nardi's team, posted on his Facebook page in Italian says the pair's last contact was made when they were at 6300 metres.

It said: "Daniele just informed us that they arrived at about 6300 meters, maybe even something more!

"They climbed along a fireplace different from the one up with Elisabeth. They went on light, now they're going down to c4. the weather is not good, there was fog, sleet and wind gusts."

Daniele Nardi's official Facebook has been giving regular updates on the search's progress. Credit: Daniele Nardi/Instagram

An earlier update on the page said the pair had previously made contact from around 6,300m (20,669ft) up the mountain on Sunday.

The peak is 8,126 metres (26,660ft) above sea level and it has been nicknamed Killer Mountain because of the notoriously dangerous conditions.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is in contact with Pakistani authorities.

Mr Ballard's mother Alison Hargreaves died in August 1995, aged 33, on K2, which stands on the border of China and Pakistan.

Mr Ballard's mother Alison Hargreaves, who was the first woman to climb Mount Everest unaided, died on K2. Credit: PA

Earlier that year, she became the first woman to climb Mount Everest unaided.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "Our staff are in contact with the Pakistani authorities regarding a British man who has been reported missing."

Hargreaves is pictures here with her son Tom (right) who would eventually also become a climber. Credit: PA

The climbers were reported missing as Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian military jets, escalating tensions between the countries.