FIREFIGHTERS have been praised by a mum who was locked out of her home by her toddler daughter.

When Nicola Bourne, of David Wright Close, Dunmow, popped out the front, her toddler Hollie decided to try out the security bolt at the bottom of the front door.

Mrs Bourne said she purposely left her key in the door lock outside, so she could get back in again, but little Hollie managed to twist the bolt around from the inside, securely locking her mum out.

She tried everything to get back in and her husband even tried breaking a window with a hammer without success as they are double glazed.

"You don't like to waste the fire service's time, but Hollie had been inside for almost two hours on her own and there was no other way we could get in," she said.

Dunmow fire station manager Keith Crow said the crew had used its new breaking-in tool on the back door, which is specially designed to gain access through locked doors.

Mrs Bourne praised the Dunmow crew and said they had done a fantastic job - and had even been apologetic about damaging the back door.