A GRATEFUL woman today thanked the neighbours she says saved her mother's life.

Winifred Richards, 81, had been making fish and chips for her evening meal on Wednesday when she slipped on a rug and fell over.

She hit her head and lay helpless as the chip pan caught fire and then she lost consciousness.

Her daughter, Anne Burrows, 49, says that but for the arrival of her mother's former schoolfriend, Florence Jepson, she may not have woken up.

Florence, 80, of Hopwood Street, arrived at the Higher Antley Street House just after 6pm and when she opened the front door saw smoke and heard the fire alarm. She then alerted the next door neighbour who telephoned for the fire brigade.

Anne, of Christ Church Square, said: "The combination of the fire alarm, Florence arriving when she did and the neighbour calling for help saved my mother's life.

"There is quite a bit of damage to the kitchen and living room from the smoke but it could have been much worse."

Florence, a widow, had been waiting for an operation on her right knee to correct a blocked artery which had been causing her a lot of pain and Anne believes it was this weakened knee which caused her to fall.

She said "She fell on her knees and couldn't get up to reach the cooker and switch the chip pan off. She could see the flames going up and was led there for several minutes unable to do anything.

"She inhaled a lot of smoke and must have fallen unconscious because the fire brigade had to revive her.

"I dread to think what could have happened and cannot thank everyone that helped enough."

Fire crews pulled Winifred from the kitchen and paramedics treated her for the effects of smoke inhalation at the scene.

She was taken to her daughter's house where it was discovered she had broken her right knee during the fall and then to be taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

The accident means the operation -- scheduled in the next fortnight -- will have to be delayed further but Anne is just glad that her mother survived the fire.