More than £2,000 has been pledged in just four days as part of a heartwarming bid to help raise money for an elderly woman whose house was struck by lightning.
The pensioner was forced to flee her semi-detached home in Upminster after flames broke out amid an electrical storm around 8.20pm on Wednesday evening.
A massive cloud of smoke was seen billowing from the Humber Drive property as fire ripped through the roof and left it virtually destroyed.
Witnesses reported hearing a "huge rumble" like an explosion, with one claiming the incident came just days after the elderly woman had been mugged on her way home from the bank.
Within 24 hours of news of the catastrophe breaking, members of the local community had begun donating to her cause through a JustGiving page.
Kirstie Allen set up the crowdfunder with a £1,000 target. By Monday morning pledges already amounted to more than twice that.
"I don't know Pat personally, but after reading some of the articles and speaking to local people I have learnt she is an elderly woman who lives alone after having lost her husband a few years ago," Ms Allen wrote on the page.
"Following the mugging and fire, I feel like the community could help give her something back. After her run of bad luck she certainly deserves something nice."
She said the aim of the fundraising was to pay for repairs to her damaged roof but the decision about spending the money would be left in her hands.
"The main aim is to do something nice for her after such a horrible experience," she added.
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Kevin Parker, an upholsterer whose garden backs on to the property, said of the lightning: "The thunder was so loud it slammed our window shut, I honestly thought it was like a bomb going off.
"One of our neighbours said it span their washing line around.
"It could have been our house but the main thing is nobody was hurt. If it had hit a car it would have killed them."
