A PROUD Ipswich mum has today praised her teenage daughter after a fire broke out in their home.Carolyn Spruce's 17-year-old daughter, Ashleigh, was frightened when fat left in an oven caught alight.

A PROUD Ipswich mum has today praised her teenage daughter after a fire broke out in their home.

Carolyn Spruce's 17-year-old daughter, Ashleigh, was frightened when fat left in an oven caught alight.

But the plucky Suffolk College student calmly dealt with the situation and called firefighters to her Chilton Road home around 7.05pm yesterday.

Mrs Spruce, 43, said she rushed back to the house as soon as she heard about the fire but discovered it was all under control.

She added: “Ashleigh was in with her friend and they decided to cook chicken nuggets and waffles.

“She put the oven on but then her friend turned on the other oven, which we don't use, as well. It had a dish full of chicken fat in.

“Then when they came back to it they opened up the oven and the whole dish was alight. They just dialled 999 and did everything they should.”

Neither of the friends was hurt and the kitchen was not badly damaged by the flames, but mum-of-three Mrs Spruce said the experience had had a lasting effect on Ashleigh.

She added: “She was very shaken but she's fine now. It could have been a lot worse.

“She has definitely learned a lesson. She thought she could look after herself, now she understands that she can't. It's really frightened her.”

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