A FAMILY has today praised their brave neighbour and firefighters after smoke engulfed their Suffolk home.Alex Wyatt and Debbie Kendon were in a pub in their village of Cotton, near Bacton, at around 9pm on Saturday when they were told that fire engines had been called to their house in Scuffin's Lane.

A FAMILY has today praised their brave neighbour and firefighters after smoke engulfed their Suffolk home.

Alex Wyatt and Debbie Kendon were in a pub in their village of Cotton, near Bacton, at around 9pm on Saturday when they were told that fire engines had been called to their house in Scuffin's Lane.

Mr Wyatt, 36, said: “Thankfully our two little girls were with Nanny and Granddad.

“Our next-door neighbour smelled the smoke coming through the walls and came to investigate.

“He saw the cars in the drive and thought we might be inside so he broke a window to get in.

“Apparently the whole house was just full of smoke, it was everywhere. He couldn't really see anything because there was so much smoke.”

By the time the couple got back to the house around ten firefighters were on the scene tackling the smoke which had originated in the living room.

Mr Wyatt added: “We think it might have been a fire in the chimney. The insulation board in the chimney had fallen down in the fire place onto the stove, which was on, so it created all the smoke.

“There wasn't actually a fire in the house.”

The smoke left the living room with around 80 per cent smoke damage, but Ms Kendon, 39, added she was just relieved it hadn't been worse, although the family, including, Isabelle, seven, and India, three, were left with a big clean-up operation.

She said: “We'd like to say thanks to our neighbour who was great and to the firefighters who were really good.”

Would you like to praise firefighters or someone who has helped you? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.