On New Year's Eve, Mireille Yando-Gelezi lost her clothes, her furniture, her identity, her life.

The Merton mother-of-three had everything she owned stored in the Croydon Shurgard facility, which went up in flames just as 2019 was beginning.

"I can never bring back those memories especially the things from my dad," Mireille told the Wimbledon Times.

"It is hard to explain, I was paying for storage to keep my special things safe and I thought that was the safest place.

"I feel like all my life has gone, It is all gone."

The French language assistant at Harris Academy Merton said the past two weeks had been hard on her, but it was nothing compared to what her daughters had been going through.

"It affects us a lot," Mireille said.

"The children have lost all their memories. When I finally get a secure home I will have nothing to put in there.

"I try to be strong for my girls but it is very hard. I feel like I can never fix what has happened, like a broken mirror, when it is broke it is broke."

But then something wonderful happened.

Naomi Martin first met Mireille at the Pollards Hill Youth Centre where they developed a friendship.

When Naomi heard what Mireille and her daughters had been through, she decided to do something to get them back on their feet.

"She has been offered a compensation sum which may well be fair in the business sense, but emotionally, this is so tough for her and her daughters," Naomi said.

"We decided to set up a GoFundMe page to raise enough money for a rental deposit and first month’s rent, some basic furniture and some half term treats for her girls.

"We want her to have some peace of mind and to feel safe, to know she and her daughters have a home and are loved."

Mireille couldn’t believe it.

"I cried," she said.

"I am very emotional and cannot believe there are people that want to help me and the girls so much.

"It will help us a lot. I am still shocked that people can be so kind, I honestly cannot put into words how it feels that people want to help us.

"It will hopefully give us a bit of our lives back."

To view the GoFundMe page, click here

A 26-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of arson has been released but remains under investigation. A 25-year-old has been released with no further action to be taken.