Selfless mum gives house to daughter

But one mum from Abergavenny really did go the extra mile - when she moved out of her £140,000 home to let her daughter, Melanie, live there.

Selfless Marilyn Morris, 52, one of the nominees for our Mum in a Million competition, packed up and left the three-bedroom house where she had lived for 34 years two weeks ago so her daughter's family could move in and enjoy the extra space.

Mrs Morris now rents a £60-a-week one-bedroom flat nearby with husband Trevor. Melanie, 31, who was living in a cramped two-bedroom house with her husband and two children, Kelly-Anne, aged seven, and one-year-old Samuel, was shocked when her mum offered her the spacious terrace house. As well as the three bedrooms, it has two gardens and a large sitting- room.

"She said the house was too big for her," said Melanie, 31, who is taking over the mortgage on the property. "I was taken aback." Melanie, a waitress, said the move was typical of her mum, who works as a full-time kitchen assistant.

"That's the kind of person she is. She's absolutely wonderful. She'll give you the last pound in her purse."

She is delighted with their new home in Rother Avenue, and is now selling her old house.

"It's great for the kids - there's so much more space and a lovely garden."

Mrs Morris brought up daughters Melanie and Michelle, 34, on her own after their father left when they were young.

They nominated her for our Mum in a Million competition because of their happy childhood memories of the three of them together.

"She always gave us the Christmas presents we wanted, and always one each - never one and not the other," added Melanie.

"She's a great role model for us now that Michelle and I are both mothers."

Mrs Morris suffered a heart attack in 2003 and has angina and arthritis.

But despite her own health problems she still manages to baby-sit her grandchildren at a moment's notice and look after Trevor, 69, who has heart problems and several knee replacement operations in the near future.