Diesel-blown head gasket?

[domiles1]

Turbo diesel 1.6. Overheating on journeys over 20 miles, pressure in the coolant (the water bottle has developed a leak), bubbles in the water when engine running. Is there a test I can do to check if its the head gasket (or even cracked head)? Hoping this is not terminal for my van!!

[jimpainter]

You should be able to get a garage to do a sniffer test, it's tests for exhaust gases in the coolant.