A Lewisham couple have told how they were "lucky" to escape after a lightning strike "wrecked" their house.

Gary Edwards and Carole Dettmer battled their way out of their smoke-filled home in Marischal Road.

They were asleep just after 2am on May 29, having returned home from holiday on Sunday evening, when their house was struck.

Mr Edwards said they were "lucky" to escape.

He told News Shopper: "We had a lightning strike and it took our chimney down, it come through the house, it blew the walls apart and it has burned the wiring.

"You couldn't see in the room because of the smoke and dust, the fire was everywhere.

"There was just flames everywhere, all around the room. We were very lucky to get out"

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade confirmed they were called to reports of a lightning strike at about 2:20am on Monday, May 29.

She said: "We were called to reports of a chimney collapsed into loft space following a lightning strike.

"Five per cent of the loft was damaged and five people were evacuated from the property."

"The fire was over by 4am"