A fire that raged through a family's kitchen, destroying most of the house, has left them with the prospect of being without a home over Christmas.

Single mum, Toni, was at work when she got the call from a neighbour to tell her that her Colne home was on fire.

The mum-of-five said: "I got a call at work and reception said to me 'you need to go home your house is on fire.'

"The drive was the worst I have ever had, not knowing what I was going to walk into."

Fire crews were called to the blaze on Birtwistle Avenue at around 3.30pm on November 6.

Investigating officers told the 37-year-old that the fire had been caused by a spark from a toaster, which had set a pile of clothes alight.

The fire then spread through the kitchen, destroying everything and leaving the rest of the house uninhabitable due to severe smoke damage.

Toni, who works at a mental health facility in Blackburn, said she has been left with virtually nothing.

She said: "All our family photographs are gone. The fire service think the kitchen was on fire for 10 to 15 minutes but it was enough to destroy the downstairs, and the conservatory - the roof is melted.

"Upstairs is smoke damaged, and everything will have to go.

"At first we thought the carpets were salvageable but I've had people round from the charity Wil's Wishes who've told me even they'll have to go.

"It's going to need to be completely gutted and redecorated."

Toni's son, Eliot, 17, was in the house when the fire started but managed to escape, rescuing the family's dog in the process.

The family, which also includes 5-year-old Edie, 13-year-old Riley, who is autistic, and 16-year-old Lucan, have been spending time with Toni's in-laws but will now have to split up as there is not enough room to keep them altogether.

To make matters worse, the insurance on the home was void, due to a mix-up when she split with her partner.

Toni said: "I didn't really panic until I found that out.

"I had some money saved for Christmas, but all of that will need to go on rebuilding the kitchen and the rest of the house."

The devastated mum said charity, Wil's Wishes, has been fantastic and have provided her with a lot of support, but the family still need help if they're to achieve Toni's goal of being back in the house by Christmas.

In order to try and bridge the gap, Toni's friend, Hayley Edmondson, who lives in Nelson, set up a Go Fund Me page to try and get them back on their feet.

Ms Edmondson said that despite Toni's initial reluctance to accept the help, they talked about it and came to the agreement that there was no other option.

So far the page has raised £625 of the £1,000 target, but the family will need much more in order to ensure they're altogether to celebrate Christmas.

To donate, or if any tradespeople can volunteer to help install a new kitchen, visit the GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/f/house-fire-colne