A Swadlincote woman has been hailed an "angel" after saving a distraught schoolgirl caught up in a prom dress nightmare.

William Allitt pupil Charly Haywood says she cannot thank Timpson's worker Chelsea Allen enough after she helped fix her dress just hours before the prom was due to begin.

The 16-year-old schoolgirl told how she could not wait to get dressed up and say goodbye to her fellow classmates at the year 11 school leavers' prom event on Friday, June 22.

Charly and her mum Dawn Haywood had prepared well in advance and had ordered the teenager's dream dress in December 2017, eagerly anticipating its arrival ahead of the big day.

Charly on her big day
Teenager Charly on her big day

After being promised in December by the retailer that Charly could alter the dress to fit, disaster struck when she was told just days before the prom that the dress was unsuitable for alterations due to its style.

Charly's mum, Dawn Haywood, said: "When we got the dress and took it to the dressmakers it turned out we couldn't alter it how Charly wanted it because of the style of the dress.

"Charly was obviously devastated. She was in bits, it didn't fit right."

Becoming desperate, 37-year-old Dawn, who is self-employed, suggested borrowing a prom dress from her friend Cheryl Maxim, whose daughter Chloe is around the same age and size as Charly.

Charly decided this was now her only option but the dresses turned out to be too big and needed altering - and now it was a race against time to get it done in time for the prom.

Just two days before the prom, frantic Dawn took the dress to Timpson Dry Cleaning in Morrison's Coppice Side, Swadlincote, to get it cleaned, but she still had to find someone to alter it for Charly.

At Timpson she met Chelsea Allen, manager at the outlet, who was determined to fix Charly's prom dress so the teenager could look perfect on her big day.

Charly with her dad Ben Haywood
Charly with her dad Ben Haywood

Dawn said: "She was so lovely. She told me she would take it down personally to the dressmakers and stay there while they took the padding out.

"She drove to the dressmakers twice in one day in Burton and with the bridge closure there must have been loads of traffic, and she didn't charge for petrol money.

"Charly tried it on on the Thursday evening and it still didn't fit. So Chelsea went down no Friday morning again and left the dress with them.

"She went above and beyond, she went into her own time and didn't charge at all."

Chelsea fixed the dress just hours before Charly's prom began - much to the relief of the teen and her family.

Charly, who is set to start at de Ferrers Academy Sixth Form in September, said: "When I got home on Tuesday I was upset as the dress didn't fit how the shop said it would.

"When my mum suggested trying my friend Chloe's on I was a bit optimistic but didn't want to get my hopes up.

"I still wanted to go to the prom as my mum and dad had spent money on it and a lot of time organising things. On Friday when it all came together and the dress fitted perfectly I just couldn't believe it.

"Cheryl, Chloe and Chelsea really made it happen. I don't know what I would have done without them and I absolutely loved my prom. It made all the studying worthwhile running up to my exams."

Chelsea Allen, manager at Timpson's Dry Cleaning, in Swadlincote, said: "It means so much to me.

"I'm really proud, it's difficult to describe the feeling. I feel honoured to have been a part of her day."