It was the happiest day of their lives.

New mother Lauren Farrugia had just given birth to baby Paisley and partner Bobby Malda was about to call his friends and family with the good news.

But unbeknown to them, while they had been in hospital an inferno had raged through Holborough Lakes, destroying their flat and forcing their neighbours to flee for their lives.

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Now, six months on from the blaze, which initially left 40 people homeless, the couple have revealed how life is living under the charred shadow of their former home, as demolition work gets underway at the site.

Police officer Mr Malda said: “The fire was on a Saturday, we didn’t get home until the Tuesday.

"Our apartment had been used as a stopper for the fire.

“When I first opened the door, I thought we were alright, it was only when I walked in and the floor squelched and I could see the damp on the ceiling I realised what had happened.”

The fire had emptied 22 flats at the Snodland development, with families losing possessions and forced out of their homes.

Partner Lauren Farrugia, 32, said: “We had lived there for two years and had the place decorated ready for our baby, we lost all his feeding stuff and our furniture.

“We managed to keep important things like photo albums and jewellery, but it was still tough to live with moving out.”

The family were put up in a Sevenoaks hotel, along with residents from the other 21 flats that had been left homeless.

Mr Malda, 34, added: “As a parent you really look forward to bringing your baby home for their first night.

“We were really upset we couldn’t do that, we didn’t have our home.

“The first night at the hotel was a struggle we realised it wasn’t going to be good enough for all of us.”

The trio spent 10 weeks living with Miss Farrugia’s mother in Plumstead.

After that, Holborough Lakes developers Berkeley Group found them a new home on the Snodland estate while the charred remains of the building on Pollyfield Close is demolished and rebuilt.

The family now live in an apartment off Lambe Close, behind their former home.

Mr Malda said: “Six people had their name down for the apartment we live in now.

“But when the landlady heard our circumstances, she put us straight in, people have been really kind.

“Our flat now isn’t as big, but Berkeley have paid to keep a lot of our other stuff in storage until we move in.

“We’re still paying the mortgage on our flat.

“It’s been six months and they’ve just started to take the structure down.

“The new building’s probably a long way off, I don’t see it being built until after Christmas, but we’re comfortable here for the meantime.”

Fire tore through Holborough Lakes on September 16, leaving dozens of residents without their homes.

At its height, more than 100 firefighters battled flames, after the block at the very front of the Snodland estate burst into flames shortly before 6.30am.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service has been unable to find a cause to the blaze, which started on a third floor balcony.

In October investigators confirmed they were “unable to determine a definitive cause of the fire due to the damage”.

In January, the other end of the block, in Pollyfield Close suffered an electrical fire.

Residents were briefly evacuated but all but one family allowed to return to their homes the same day.

Demolition work on the charred remains of the site began this week, and is expected to last between eight and 10 weeks.

A letter seen by KM from developers Berkeley Group reads: “During the soft strip works all of the internal soft contents from the apartments has been removed.

“They will now be removing of electrical and mechanical elements of the building like wiring, water cylinders and pipe work.

"Once this is complete the building will have a full inspection by a timber frame expert to conclude how far the building comes down.

"After this a long reach excavator will be used to bring the building down.”

Berkeley Group has declined to comment.