A BRAVE 10-year-old Brownie who had gained a fire safety badge put her skills into practice when a real blaze broke out in her house.

Kate Marsland, of Avimore Drive, Fearnhead, was in her bedroom when she smelt smoke and ran down to alert her mum, Judith.

Kate said: "We went into the kitchen and there was smoke everywhere, up to the ceiling.

"I told my mum to put a damp cloth on the back of the cooker and to get out of the room, because if she stayed in there she would be choked by the smoke. Then I rang the fire brigade."

She went outside and rang the brigade, letting them know the address of the house and what had happened.

She said: "I knew how to do this because a couple of weeks ago I went with the Brownies to Birchwood Fire Station and got my fire safety badge. They told us about dealing with chip pans and putting fires out and I remembered it."

Her mum Judith said: "Kate was very calm and didn't go into a panic at all. I am very proud of her."

The fire brigade arrived within minutes and to keep Kate calm they asked her to listen out for calls on their radio.

Kate, who is a pupil at Cinnamon Brow Primary School, said: "They said they were really proud of me and I had done really well. When I went into school the next day everyone thought it was brave and said they would have been frightened."

The kitchen was badly damaged and the house was smoke-damaged but could have been much worse.

Sub Officer Dave Gill, of blue watch at Birchwood Fire Station, said: "As far as myself and the brigade are concerned she has reacted in an excellent manner.

"She paid attention and remembered what she had learned and has saved her and her mum a lot of bother."

The firefighters have now used Kate's actions as an example to other children during a safety talk at a school.