An appeal has been launched to support a mother and her three children after they were forced to flee their home in St Neots after a fire ripped through the building on Saturday.

Michele Kendrick, 46, from Love's Farm, set up the appeal to help her friend Camille Yallop, 33, and her three children, after their maisonette caught fire on Fairfax Court.

Amazingly, Camille and her three children, two girls aged 13 and 11 and a six-year-old boy, managed to escape, remaining unharmed after the fire broke out.

But they have now been left homeless and without clothes, with very few of their possessions left.

Camille said: “It just doesn’t seem real what has happened to us, you just never think this would happen to you.”

Michele said: “For Camille and the children, these past few days have been really tough.

“They lost all their belongings in the fire and it couldn’t have happened at a worse of time.”

The Hunts Post: Fire Damage from Camille's maisonette caught fire on Fairfax Court in St Neots.Fire Damage from Camille's maisonette caught fire on Fairfax Court in St Neots. (Image: Michele Kendrick)

Camille is so grateful to everyone including the fire service who helped, Camille said: “I just want to say a big 'thank you' to the fire service, they were so good with us as a family, I am so grateful for all the support they gave me, they were phenomenal.”

Michele explained how the community rallied round to help Camille. She said: “The St Neots community have been absolutely amazing at supporting Camille at this time.

“When there are times of crisis in this town, the people who live here are just amazing at helping one another out.

“The big Tesco's in St Neots have provided clothes for the children, Domino’s have provided them a meal and Moors Walk Café in St Neots have also provided them with breakfast, which is so kind.

Camille and her family stayed in a nearby hotel for the first few days and Chorus Homes have now provided them with temporary accommodation.

A whopping £1,555 has already been raised for the family in just a few short days and Michelle hopes they can raise as much money as possible for the family.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 5.02pm on Saturday, three crews from St Neots and Gamlingay were called to a fire on Fairfax Court in Eynesbury.

“Firefighters arrived to find a fire a ground floor flat spreading to the flat above, with smoke seen coming from the kitchen of the property.

“Wearing breathing apparatus they extinguished the fire.

“The property was evacuated when crews arrived. The cause of the fire was accidental.”

If you would like to donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/today-camille-and-her-lovely-children-suffered-an