A PORTHMADOG mum whose family home was destroyed in an explosion earlier this year has received nearly £1,000 worth of surprise gifts from her local community.

Cayla Owen and her two daughters, Caitlin, 12, and two-year-old Maddison, lost their home in August when there was a gas explosion in a neighbouring property to hers in Ashton-under-Lyne in Manchester.

The rented home was completely destroyed by the fire, which also, sadly, killed her 63-year-old neighbour in the nearby property.

The former Ysgol Eifionydd pupil lost everything in the explosion and was left homeless for a number of weeks.

Now the kind community she lives in has surprised her and her children in time for Christmas with gifts worth around £900.

Cayla said: “I didn’t even know this was happening. My friend nominated me for a Secret Santa community surprise and I opened the door and was told I had been chosen to receive all these wonderful gifts for Christmas. I was a bit shell-shocked to say the least!

“To be chosen to receive these gifts just before Christmas is so overwhelming, to think people have raised that much money so we can have a special Christmas is just unbelievable.”

Read the full story in today’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News