A campaign to raise much-needed funds for three families affected by a house fire has been launched.

Three homes in Pilsdon Close, Beaminster, were damaged in a fire earlier this month, with one being completely destroyed.

The fire started in the back garden of Catherine Lee’s Magna home, one of a terrace of eight, with eight fire engines responding to the scene on the morning of June 6.

The cause of the fire was reported to be electrical.

Catherine’s daughter, Lian Hardware, has now set up a Just Giving fundraising page to help the families that lost items.

She said: “I set up the Just Giving page because my mum has lost everything in the house fire. Although the fire destroyed her home and its contents, it also destroyed part of her neighbours both sides, and unfortunately, mum and one of her neighbours didn’t have contents insurance.

“Knowing how expensive it is to replace items, I wanted to do all I can to help them get back on their feet.

“Mum and her neighbours have been rehomed for the foreseeable future but the accommodations are unfurnished, so this is my plea to ask the kind community for any donation, no matter how small, to help my mum and her neighbours get back on their feet.

“All money raised will be split equally between the three families so they can try and get back to some sort of normality.”

Lian set up the page on June 15 and within 24 hours it had an amazing response, raising £650 so far, but she would also like this to be a warning to those without contents insurance.

She added: “I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to check their fire alarms but also to ensure people have contents insurance on their properties so that, god forbid this happens to someone else they will be covered.

“I would also like to say a massive thank you to my mum’s neighbour Sarah Pearce, if it wasn’t for Sarah waking my mum up, the outcome from the fire would have been very different. On behalf of my family, we are forever grateful to you.”

To donate, visit http://bit.ly/2IRvwgc