A couple who had the “worst Boxing Day in their lives” last year when their home was devastated by fire have finally returned after a huge rebuild.

Mick and Sonia Lane lost their bungalow in Highfield Road, Halfway, to flames last Christmas.

A year on, they have finally moved back in.

Mrs Lane, 49, said: “It’s absolutely beautiful – they’ve done a fantastic job.

“We’ve had a complete renovation. All new flooring, skirting, windows, a loft conversion.

“It’s basically been rebuilt from scratch because the fire was so severe, but now it’s fabulous. I keep looking round and thinking ‘oh my god, we’re home’.”

The couple, who have been together for 15 years and married for 10, have not yet finished unpacking, and builders still have some finishing touches to do. However, Mrs Lane said they were looking forward to a new year and a new start.

“The past year has been an absolute living nightmare,” the mother-of-three said.

“I cried when they said we could come back home. It’s just been so stressful.”

The Lanes temporarily lived at the Shurland Hotel in Eastchurch after the blaze, before moving into a relative’s home in Scrapsgate, Minster, and living out of one bedroom.

“If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s been horrific, horrendous, every single negative word there is,” Mrs Lane added.

What kept the couple going though, she said, was the support they received from the Island’s community.

Mrs Lane, a store assistant at Aldi in Sheerness, said: “We got £2,500 from online fundraising pages, which was spent on getting new car keys, as mine were lost in the fire, clothing, food, pots and pans – anything we needed.

“People also offered us furniture, clothing and so on. Our neighbours have been really supportive, too, and so have all my colleagues. We will be for ever thankful to them all.”

It is still not known what caused the fire, but it is thought to have been an electrical fault.

Mr and Mrs Lane, who have four grandchildren, moved into their home on February 26, 2016 – 10 months to the day before the fire happened.

“We’ve lived out of the house more than we have lived in it,” Mrs Lane said.

Today, the family are planning to have a big get-together.

Mrs Lane added: “We’ve had the worst Boxing Day in our lives and now we’re going to have the best one.”