A PREGNANT mum and her kids who "could have died" in a fire have been reduced to tears by the generosity of the people of Crossgates.

Villagers showed such kindness, rallying round to help after birthday gifts and toys for Chloe Dalgleish's two kids were destroyed in the blaze, that it left the family overwhelmed.

Her mum, Helen, of Cobden Court, said: "It was so lovely, we never stopped crying, it was really emotional as I never thought people could be so kind.

"We've written all the names and addresses down as Chloe wants to go and see them and thank them personally."

Chloe, her partner John and her children Nathan, nine, and two-year-old Sophie, were asleep when a fire broke out in the back garden of their home in Blamey Crescent, Cowdenbeath, around 2am on June 18.

It appears to have been started deliberately, police are "treating the fire as wilful", and a large plastic storage unit and a wooden shed that John was building went up in flames.

The children's bikes, trampoline, trike, buggy and all their outdoor toys were destroyed while a lawnmower, adult bikes and gym equipment were also lost.

Helen told the Times: "We really got a fright when we heard what had happened and saw all the mess.

"The fire went into the eves of their flat and damaged the windows too, it melted the plastic guttering.

"Luckily, they had just changed the bedroom and livingroom around, so they were sleeping at the front of the house, otherwise it could have been a different story with the windows open and smoke coming in.

"Someone could have killed the lot of them, there are four flats there so they could have wiped the whole block out. It's frightening."

Following the blaze, Helen posted on the Facebook page of Crossgates Together: "If anyone is thinking of dumping bikes or baby trikes please PM me as my grandchildren have lost all their birthday gifts in a shed that some inconsiderate, horrible person set fire to.

"All I can say is they all are safe but now have nothing. Trampoline, bikes etc all gone. Devastated."

Helen explained: "Chloe can't replace everything, I've been replacing what I can, and I'd hoped to buy old bikes or trikes that people were taking to the tip, just to give the kids something to play with.

"But right away we were overwhelmed with donations and offers of help. I was in tears as people kept turning up.

"They've got near enough new bikes, a go-kart that's like new, Sophie's got two wee trampolines to bounce on, which she loves, a pedal trike and balance bike.

"A retired police inspector and her husband came by and gave them £40 to buy toys with, and Batgirl, one of the superheroes, helped us too, there were so many people.

"It was almost embarrassing in a way, we've never asked for anything in our life, but they all came up trumps and we can never thank them enough."

With bad memories of the fire and Chloe due to give birth to a baby boy in November, the family are looking to move.

Helen said: "They've lost so much but they could have lost a lot more, it could have been their lives.

"They're safe, that's the main thing, but Nathan has been unsettled. He wasn't coping well with lockdown and then the fire happened.

"It's really knocked them. All the mess is a constant reminder for the kids but it'll get better."

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "At this time, police are treating the fire as wilful and enquiries are continuing.

"No one was injured, however, there was considerable damage to the shed and some to the outside of the house."