Grandmother Dorothy Fraser was blown down the stairs of her home when a bomb dropped in the front garden one October evening in 1940.

Mrs Fraser, 82, was prompted to tell her incredible tale after reading an article published in the Life two weeks ago by historian Alan Moore. In it he talks about a house in Upper Bridge Road, Redhill, which had to be demolished after a bomb fell in front of it during World War Two.

The large detached house was called Apsley and divided into two apartments. Mrs Fraser, whose surname was Udale at the time, lived on the upper level with her mother, sister, niece and an evacuee. She was 16 when the bomb fell.

She said: "That evening my mother was doing a bit of voluntary work at the canteen for the services in Central Hall in Redhill. My niece and the evacuee were in bed. I remember coming down the stairs to see if our cat, Kim, wanted to come in because the raids were on.

"Then I heard a whining and before I knew it the bomb had dropped right outside the house. I think they were aiming for Redhill station. It dropped outside the window and I remember being blown down a few steps. I cannot remember whether the cat came in or not!

"The air raid wardens must have come in after that, I know they had to go and tell my mother and get her to come back."

Although she was frightened, Mrs Fraser, who married her late husband Tommy in 1945 and now lives in Reigate, believes it was not nearly as bad as it could have been.

She explained: "It would have been more scary if the ceiling had joined me! It could have been worse.

"I can remember the evacuee and my sister were sharing a bedroom, they must have heard the noise and jumped out of bed. The force of the bomb made the big heavy wardrobe fall across the bed they had just been in.

"There was a sense of fear, generally, because every time the sirens went you used to get the awful colley wobbles!

"I was not one then but I am a Christian now and when I look back I can see how the Lord really preserved us."

Thankfully, no one was hurt and the family were taken in by neighbours, Mr and Mrs Pringle. They were then looked after by a lady called Mrs Woolcombe-Boyce and her daughter Anne.

It was not long before the family found another permanent home in Upper Bridge Road, not far from where they were bombed.