Fresh start for gas-blast mum

Jodie Cook at her new home with Phil Royle, FCHO Neighbourhood Officer (left) and Harry Burns, Chair of the Board at FCHO.

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

A family whose house had to be rebuilt after a gas explosion next-door three years ago have finally collected the keys to their new home.

Jodie Cook is still thanking her lucky stars she had nipped out for some last-minute Christmas shopping with her young daughters when the blast hit.

The explosion, in Roundthorn, destroyed everything they owned.

Now the mother-of-two is celebrating a new pad on the same site — thanks to First Choice Homes.

Jodie (23), of Byland Avenue, said: “I was so happy I cried when I got the call.

“It has been a very traumatic time for the family but thankfully we’re all OK — the firefighters who arrived at the scene told me if we’d been at home at the time of the incident we could easily have been killed.

“When I returned from shopping that day it was so upsetting to see my house on fire, especially as it was just two days before Christmas.

“I went into the house a couple of weeks later to witness the damage. The Christmas tree and presents had all been destroyed and the baby’s cot had melted, it was heartbreaking to see.

It’s now home sweet home for Jodie, who has moved back in with her two children, Natalie and Nicole, who were aged three years and 10 months at the time of the fire. She also has a third child on the way.

For the full version of this story see our print and e-Chron editions