A SPARSHOLT College student has thanked firefighters for saving her life.

Lauren Woodward was playing her Xbox when the fire broke out in the kitchen of her dad's flat in Crawte Avenue, Holbury.

Firefighters from Hardley, Hythe and Beaulieu dealt with the fire on Friday afternoon.

At the time Lauren's dad was out and she was completely unaware of the fire taking hold after it began in the oven.

When she heard the fire alarm, the flames had already taken hold in her kitchen and she rung Hampshire Fire and Rescue who arrived within 10 minutes.

As the kitchen is the main access point to the flat, she had no other means of escaping.

But firefighters managed to get her out of the property via a ladder and she was taken to hospital where she was treated for smoke inhalation.

Describing what happened, Lauren who studies animal management and also works as an cleaner said: "I was in the living room playing Xbox, I heard the fire alarm go off and I went round to see what was going on and I saw lots of black smoke and flames.

"I called the fire service straight away, I could not get out of the house, and I had to be taken out by the window."

Speaking about how good the fire service were at the time, she said: "They were very good, I do now know who was on the phone to me but they were very helpful towards me.

"I probably would have died if it wasn't for them, and if the smoke alarm wasn't working and as I did not hear or smell it when it got bad I would have died."

Currently, she doesn't know if she can go back to the home where she lives.