The sound of fire at the end of her bed woke a woman in Purley last Sunday.

She grabbed her children and fled as fire tore through her home on Foxley Road. When her children were safe she went back in to try to fight the fire.

The woman was taken to hospital by London Ambulance.

A fan falling over in her bedroom is believed to have caused the blaze.

London Fire Brigade watch manager Ian Day said: “The woman did the right thing initially by getting herself and her children out.

“However, she went back into the flat and tried to fight the fire. It is really important that you never go back inside of a burning building and leave the fighting of fire to the professionals.”

Half the second floor flat was damaged by the fire. Two men from a ground floor flat had evacuated before the Brigade arrived at 9.32 on May 29.