A WOMAN has thanked her neighbours after helping her and her family as their Bromsgrove house became engulfed in flames.

Lucy Millership, 35, went to the bathroom of her house in Foxwalks Avenue last Saturday evening (April, 19) and saw that the window was orange.

"The first thing I thought to myself was who is having a bonfire at this time of night?" she said.

It wasn't long before she realised that the conifers outside her house were on fire.

"I felt the heat and called the fire brigade. Before I knew it there were 50 foot flames above my house and I ran to get my kids."

Lucy ran out of the house with her three children, who are seven, five and two-years-old, and tried to find help.

"My kids were very upset. They were in their pyjamas and didn't have any socks or shoes on. They were shaking and were in shock," said Lucy.

"I opened the front door and it was raining fire. I was told afterwards that the flames were so high they could be seen all the way in Charford."

Lucy's husband Rick keeps racing pigeons and didn't want them to burn alive so tried to save them from their pigeon loft, which was also on fire.

"I can't thank my family and friends enough. My neighbours, people I didn't even know, were helping us to take the pigeons out of the loft. I want to say a special thank you to my best friend Heather Moore who put all of the pigeons we saved into her bathroom."

One particularly brave neighbour rushed into Lucy's house to save her dog. An act which has led to him being named Paul the Dog Saver by Lucy's children.

"It was really scary. We lost the whole shed, all the kids garden toys and bikes and we also lost the pigeon loft. I was just so lucky that I went to the loo when I did. I was told if it was a minute later the whole of the conservatory would have been gone."