Swanscombe residents have rallied around a family after their terraced house was destroyed in a fire.

Sally White lives just behind the burnt-out house in Ames Road which was evacuated in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a fire swept through it.

After hearing about the fire, she and her friend Jodi Kench wanted to do something to help the mother and son who live in the house.

The pair decided to set up a Gofundme page to raise money and have also collected donations through a Facebook group called Ames Road House Fire Collection.

“They have nothing. No memories, no photos, no heirlooms. It’s all gone,” Sally told News Shopper.

Sally and Jodi have asked people to donate as much as they can to the family, while the mother, Julie, is still in hospital.

“We have just sorted out a hospital bag for Julie for when she wakes up.

“Everybody has donated brand new stuff which is absolutely mind-blowing.

“We didn’t want to take her secondhand stuff because of cross-contamination in hospital,” Sally said.

The pair have also helped out Julie’s son, Matt, who is now living with his sister.

“My other half managed to kit him out the other day. He had absolutely nothing,” Sally said.

She added he was doing “as well as can be expected” given the circumstances.

“You don’t expect to be woken up at 3.30am with your house on fire.”

In just one day since Sally and Jodi set up the Gofundme page, it has already raised £460 of its £1,000 goal to help Julie and Matt.

“I cannot believe the generosity of people of Swanscombe,” Sally said.

She added people have turned up to her house with cash donations for the family since the appeal started.

“I’ve been blown away by it.”

Jodi will be taking the bag of brand new make-up, dressing gowns and slippers to hospital for Julie in the next few days.

“We are all hoping she will be ok,” Sally said.

Kent Police has confirmed the fire is no longer being treated as suspicious after an initial investigation.