A Tytherington couple have spoken of how "humbled" they are by the community's response one week on since their house was struck by lightning causing a substantial fire.

Married couple Maxine and Duncan Jefferies were in their Cheveley Close home when the strike happened during last Tuesday's (11 August) storm.

Mrs Jefferies told Nub News about their ordeal: "My husband and I were woken by a loud bang just before 1am and knew that something was seriously wrong. As soon as we realised the roof was on fire we attempted to get our two elderly cats into their carriers."

The couple were only able to find one of their cats in the panic to get out of the house with the other "nowhere to be seen".

A neighbour who saw the lightning strike hit the house called the emergency services and alerted the couple to the fire on the roof. "We are enormously grateful for their quick thinking," Mrs Jefferies said.

"We managed to grab a few possessions and left the house unscathed, but our memories of the following ten hours are of the bravery and professionalism of the firefighters, and the care, kindness and support of our neighbours as they selflessly looked after us throughout the night," she explained.

The second cat was found shortly before the last of the firefighters were leaving the scene the following day after hiding in the garage throughout the night.

The Jefferies' home was left uninhabitable as a result of the freak accident.

The couple were taken in by a neighbour the following day and have described feeling "humbled" by the generosity of neighbours over the last week.

One such act of solidarity has been a fundraiser set up by fellow Tytherington resident, Maxine Peak.

With the donations of neighbours, the fundraiser currently sits at £1,290, which is over the initial £1,000 target.

Ms Peak told Nub News: "People were posting on all of the local Facebook groups about this fire a and we were thinking, is there anything we can help with."

While Ms Peak does not know the Jefferies, she along with other neighbours were wondering how they can help out when some suggested the Just Giving page.

"Even if it's just going on a shopping trip or a weekend away, I thought surely as a community we could get the money together," she said.

She added: "Life can be tough enough anyway and you just think of all of the houses in Tytherington, it was just one house. You just think that was really bad luck."

In response to the kindness of her neighbours, Mrs Jefferies said: "The kindness has continued over the last week and the generosity and compassion we've received from so many people is so humbling. We will pay it forward when we are able to."

The couple are currently staying in a hotel, but will soon be moving into a rental property in the local area while their house is repaired. The insurance company estimate this could take around 12 months.

If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, you can click here.