A FAMILY has been left homeless after a blaze at their village home while they were out on a shopping trip.

Julian and Alison Bray, and their five children, returned from a visit to Morrisons, in Leek, to discover smoke and flames billowing from their property, in Church Lane, Cauldon.

Mr Bray ran into the house but was beaten back by the intense heat.

The 40-year-old said: "I ran upstairs to the front bedroom but the door was red hot and the paint was bubbling. It was more serious than I first thought.

"I ran outside and called 999. It has been a huge shock."

Fire crews from Ipstones and Cheadle spent more than four hours tackling the blaze.

Residents in two adjoining houses were evacuated as the flames threatened to spread across the roofs.

Mrs Bray said she could smell smoke as the they drove along the main road through the village.

She said: "We soon realised it was coming from around our chimney.

"This was a big shock as you never think it will happen to you.

"We have lost beds, clothes and furniture. I have also lost my wedding dress – but thankfully no-one was hurt."

The family – which includes Ben, aged 13, Joel, aged 11, Ross, aged nine, Ebony, aged three, and eight-week-old Jay – have now been temporarily re-housed at a property in Waterhouses.

Mr Bray, a lorry driver, managed to rescue an "irreplaceable" framed photo of all of them together.

He said: ""The children have been shocked as they have lost football trophies, clothes and their computer along with many games.

"The fire brigade were brilliant. I have nothing but praise.

"It seems ages while you are waiting in an emergency, but they were in here in minutes."

Incident commander Leslie Jackson, of Ipstones Fire Station, said the blaze had been started after embers from a ground floor fireplace entered a defective flue in the bedroom hearth.

He said: "Crews gained access to the property and after searching the loft space noticed smoke had spread to neighbouring properties, so all the houses had to be evacuated. The closed door of the bedroom helped to stop the fire rapidly spreading through the house."

Mr Bray thanked the "community spirit" of villagers who came to their rescue.

He said: "We would like to thank all our family, friends and neighbours for their wonderful help and also for finding us somewhere to stay. They helped us in our time of need.

"I hope when people read what we have gone through they will check their house for all fire risks and also make sure they are insured."

Mr Jackson has now urged householders to have their flues checked on a regular basis.

He added: "If this fire had started a couple of hours later we could be dealing with something a lot worse.

"The house had no smoke alarms fitted."

To book a free Home Fire Risk Check call 0800 0241 999.