A MOTHER and daughter who won the Lancashire Telegraph’s ‘top mum’ competition have described each other as the best of friends.

Lesley Spiers was overjoyed when her daughter, Abbie, told her the fantastic news she had won the Mothering Sunday competition and a prize of £500 worth of The Mall gifts.

Abbie, 18, from Shadsworth, entered her mum, 40, into the competition, which was looking for mums who go that extra mile to put their family first.

Lesley cares for Abbie and her siblings, Brooklyn, 14, who is partially sighted and Ami, nine, who has autism.

Abbie said: “From when I was very young my mum went through a hard time and raised me by herself and she went on to have my brother and sister who both have disabilities.

“She taught them disabilities do not define them and taught them to be amazing young children and has shown them nothing but love and devotion.”

Abbie, who is studying a sports diploma at Blackburn College, said her mother encouraged her to become a police cadet as a 12-year-old and she recently became a cadet leader.

She said: “She’s the reason I’m achieving all my goals that I’ve only ever dreamed of as a child.

“She has always been my support system and my best friend, now I just want something to give back.

“She stood by me all the way, she’s pushed me to continue with my passion and I do believe that all of my hard work was because of my mum.

“I’ve never been so grateful to someone in my life and I honestly owe everything I have to her.

“Because of my mum I am living the dream that I never thought I could.

“She pushed me every day to do better and she was there to wipe away my tears when I fell on hard times.”

The prizes included a £150 Clogau Necklace from Peter Jackson the Jeweller, a £25 gift card for The Mall Blackburn, an outfit to the value of £70 from Debenhams’ own brand and a giant Mother’s Day Cookie from Millies Cookies.

Lesley said: “I was so shocked to win as I never win anything.

“I can honestly say my daughter is my best friend.”

Loraine Jones, The Mall Blackburn’s general manager, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to make someone very happy on Mother’s Day. It makes us very happy.”