Heidi Brazier, her husband and her seven children aged from one to sixteen years old, were forced to leave their home in the aftermath of the Buncefield explosion. The family, who lived less than a mile from the epicentre of the blast, have been living at the Holiday Inn in Hemel Hempstead, while efforts to rebuild their home were underway.  | | Buncefield Fire: View from a deserted M1 |
Now, after almost four months, the family are returning home. BBC Three Counties Radio presenter Roberto Perrone spoke to Heidi Brazier outside her home in Leverstock Green. Roberto: So you're finally moving back in? Heidi: Yes, it's been a long hard struggle, but today's the day all the boxes are here, the van's here and we're starting to unload. Roberto: Some people may think that living in a hotel is great and I guess it's ok for a while, but not so good for four months and certainly not so good if you've got children? Heidi: Precisely - they are all starting to get a bit stir crazy now! The staff at the hotel have all been absolutely brilliant but there's only so much that you can have off of the hotel menu before you start to think, I really don't want another meal thank you very much! Roberto: You start wishing for those simple things in life… Heidi: Broccolii! Roberto: Yes! Or even just bread and butter! Heidi: Yes! Roberto: So is the house fully restored? Heidi: No it's not, although we are moving back in now, the work won't be completely finished until around June. Roberto: And just what was the damaged sustained to your property? Heidi: We had to have the gable end rebuilt, the front door and every window in the house replaced, five ceilings; there were cracks I could put my fist in! They've got floors to relay and we've discovered some more damage yesterday while we were cleaning to be able to move back in. Roberto: It must seem as though this work is never going to end! Heidi: Yes it does feel that way, we actually had our house extended a couple of years ago, and I always swore I would never have any building work done again because of the mess it caused! So yes it is a bit like living through all that again - but on a much bigger scale. Roberto: Last week we heard the news that the application to decide whether a group litigation order could go ahead had been adjourned, do you have any views on that? Heidi: I was actually at the High Court. I'm very frustrated and angry about it. I think the oil companies had the opportunity to lend a helping hand to the residents and those who are uninsured and have lost their homes, without admitting liability, as has been done before, but they have chosen not to. The big companies appear to have forgotten the little people and at the end of the day they can go home and sleep in their beds - we can't. Roberto: Heidi, we wish you and your family all the very best. | 
