A mother faces her third Christmas looking at her burnt-out home from a caravan.

Linda Hall's charred and smoke-damaged Rainham home and possessions are as they were after fire broke out in January 2009. Even blackened pots and pans remain in the kitchen

Mrs Hall admits she took a gamble when she decided not to take out insurance at a time when she was struggling financially.

It was a gamble that backfired badly after fire broke out in a neighbouring car workshop.

Gas cylinders, welding equipment and petrol sent flames 50ft into the air on the night of the fire in January 2009 which destroyed one side of the house in Otterham Quay Lane, Rainham, and left the rest badly damaged by smoke.

Mrs Hall said: "I heard a frantic knocking at the door and the guy who ran the workshop told me to get out. I was in my slippers. I put a coat on, had my glasses in my hand and that was it.

"My son Ryan was on his very first driving lesson and he got overtaken by all these fire engines he later discovered were going to his house, bless him. There were more than 50 firefighters."

The cost of fixing the four-bedroom home, where some parts of the roof are in tatters, has been estimated at £150,000.

The house is a constant reminder of everything Mrs Hall has lost.

The blackened shelves are still stacked with books, cushions sit on damaged chairs and the pots she was cooking dinner with sit on the hob.

A once-shiny white sink and toilet are now covered in soot and debris.

Mrs Hall, a 55-year-old widow, has been living in a caravan while she fights for money to fix her ruined home but time is running out.

She has tried to take court action against the workshop’s owners but she was declined free legal help after a lengthy fight.

Mrs Hall has no funds to pay for lawyers and a three-year deadline to sue will expire on January 20, the anniversary of the fire.

The former bereavement counsellor said: "I was in debt at the time and I took a gamble not to buy insurance. I lost that gamble.

"Since then my health has not been great and the stress and the emotional toll has been phenomenal.

"I feel completely helpless and I’m angry I can’t rebuild my home."

Mrs Hall, whose husband died in 2007 and whose sons have moved away from home, works part-time but is still paying the mortgage on her damaged house.

Her case was passed between different solicitors, who eventually declined her legal aid. She tried to make a no-win-no-fee claim but was declined insurance to cover her legal costs.

Her 26-year-old son Simon, a professional BMX instructor, has taken on the case but he is still searching for a solicitor.

Mrs Hall said: "The system just isn’t there for me to try and get justice and that’s where my anger lies. I looked to the law and it didn’t help me."

Linda Hall admits she took a gamble when she decided not to take out insurance at a time when she was struggling financially.

It was a gamble that backfired badly after her home was destroyed by a fire that started in a neighbouring car workshop. Gas cylinders, welding equipment and petrol sent flames 50ft into the air on the night of the fire in January 2009 which destroyed one side of the house in Otterham Quay Lane, Rainham, and left the rest badly damaged by smoke.

Mrs Hall said: "I heard a frantic knocking at the door and the guy who ran the workshop told me to get out. I was in my slippers. I put a coat on, had my glasses in my hand and that was it.

"My son Ryan was on his very first driving lesson and he got overtaken by all these fire engines he later discovered were going to his house, bless him. There were more than 50 firefighters."

The cost of fixing the four-bedroom home, where some parts of the roof are in tatters, has been estimated at £150,000.

The house is a constant reminder of everything Mrs Hall has lost.

The blackened shelves are still stacked with books, cushions sit on damaged chairs and the pots she was cooking dinner with sit on the hob.

A once-shiny white sink and toilet are now covered in soot and debris.

Mrs Hall, a 55-year-old widow, has been living in a caravan while she fights for money to fix her ruined home but time is running out.

She has tried to take court action against the workshop’s owners but she was declined free legal help after a lengthy fight.

Mrs Hall has no funds to pay for lawyers and a three-year deadline to sue will expire on January 20, the anniversary of the fire.

The former bereavement counsellor said: "I was in debt at the time and I took a gamble not to buy insurance. I lost that gamble.

"Since then my health has not been great and the stress and the emotional toll has been phenomenal.

"I feel completely helpless and I’m angry I can’t rebuild my home."

Mrs Hall, whose husband died in 2007 and whose sons have moved away from home, works part-time but is still paying the mortgage on her damaged house.

Her case was passed between different solicitors, who eventually declined her legal aid. She tried to make a no-win-no-fee claim but was declined insurance to cover her legal costs.

Her 26-year-old son Simon, a professional BMX instructor, has taken on the case but he is still searching for a solicitor.

Mrs Hall said: "The system just isn’t there for me to try and get justice and that’s where my anger lies. I looked to the law and it didn’t help me."