A Cambridge family have been left temporarily homeless after a mum claims her 'five-year-old accidentally set her bed on fire'.

Ashleigh Davies, 25, was cleaning her house in Trumpington until at around 4.30am before falling asleep in the living room - but moments later she was woken up by her smoke alarm.

Her seven-year-old twins told her that her bedroom was in flames, but after dismissing the claims as a joke, the two boys persisted "quite seriously for seven-year-olds" to say that the house was on fire.

Ashleigh then walked into her room to discover a terrifying surprise.

'I thought my house was going to blow up'

Ashleigh Davies from Trumpington with some of her destroyed belongings

"I was so shocked," said the mum-of-three. "I went to see if I could just pour a bucket of water on it, but it was too big.

"My first thought was I needed to get the boys out."

The healthcare assistant for Addenbrooke's Hospital ran down the stairs and got one of her friends to take care of her twins and her five-year-old son.

She then called the fire brigade and waited outside until they arrived nine minutes later.

"That wait before they came," she said. "It felt like a lifetime.

"The bedroom was directly above the kitchen and all the electrical equipment.

"I thought any moment my house was going to blow up."

Firefighters put out the fire shortly after, but the bedroom and most of upstairs was destroyed.

This included clothes belonging to herself and her boys.

Playing with fire

The scene on February 25

After speaking with her sons, the mum claims that the cause of the fire was her five-year-old son.

Ashleigh said: "I thought it was an electrical problem at first. They (fire service) asked to speak with my boys, who found out from them that my five-year-old had played with a candle lighter and set the bed on fire."

When asked how it happened, she said: "I tell them [the boys] to never go into my room, but he's going through a little rebellious phase.

"He'd walked into my room and found it, then played around it. He's obviously pressed the button and then set my bed alight.

"He doesn't seem fazed by it at all. My seven year old boys are traumatised.

"The firefighters will be coming back to talk to them about playing with fire.

"I've also asked their school to talk about fire safety in assembly."

Temporarily homeless

Ashy Davies' two seven-year-olds and five-year-old

Ashleigh was told by her housing association that her house will be unlivable for around a month because of the damage.

She was placed in a Travelodge temporarily and will find out today (February 25) where she will be staying.

Until then, Ashleigh's friend Kirsty Wallace has set up a fundraising page to help buy the family new clothes.

Kirsty said: "Everything was melted and had to be chucked. She is a single mum with three boys who already struggles with funds.

"We need to get some brand new clothes for them. Please can everyone come together and help out this wonderful lady.

"She doesn't like asking for help, but she needs it."

Click here if you'd like to donate.

The fire service in Trumpington

A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "At 5.31am on Friday, February 22, two crews from Cambridge were called to a fire on Addenbrooke's Road in Trumpington.

"Firefighters arrived to find a fire in the bedroom of a house. Wearing breathing apparatus they extinguished the fire using a hose reel and a jet and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan.

"The house was safely evacuated before crews arrived.

"The crews returned to their station by 8am.

"An investigation is being carried out to determine the cause of the fire."