By Julie Armstrong

Last updated 11:36, Monday, 12 May 2008

THERE were tears and laughter at Asda when a Carlisle student’s mother dropped a brilliant birthday bombshell.

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Natassia Gunn and her mum Anna Fraser

Natassia Gunn was gutted her 19th birthday would be the first she had spent without her mum and best friend, who lives 235 miles away in Aberdeen.

The University of Cumbria student was on what she thought was a routine weekly shop, when the woman behind the customer services desk span around to reveal a very familiar face – her mum’s!

Also waiting for a flabbergasted Natassia was pink champagne on ice, a host of balloons and a photo cake displaying faces of mother and daughter.

Mum Anna Fraser had told Natassia she couldn’t afford the trip, but had covertly made the four-hour train journey and plotted with her daughter’s friend and flatmate Laney Gaffney to surprise her.

A stunned Natassia, who is studying performing arts and creative writing, said: “Oh my God guys! I can’t believe you’ve done this!

“We are so close. We tell each other everything, and I haven’t seen her for two months.

“I thought she wasn’t going to come and I was so upset, and then when no present arrived from her this morning I was almost crying.

“When Laney got called to customer services I thought my flatmate Nat must have died in the alcohol aisle!”

Natassia’s mum, Anna, 37, a youth worker, said: “We’ve had a hard year. Her step dad left and I was pretty much a mess. Natassia was absolutely fantastic. She’s always been pretty wild, very loud and out there, and it really took me aback how mature and supportive she was.

“I’ve moved on and everything’s doing fine here, but financially it’s been a bit of a nightmare.”

Anna, who is saving up to do a social work degree, added: “When I told her I didn’t think I could go down she was really disappointed. So I thought, I’m going to pull out all the stops, to let her know how amazing she was to me. She deserved a really big treat.”

It was the job of Natassia’s friend Laney, with who she lives with at the Brampton Road campus, to get her to Asda yesterday.

Laney said: “It was so hard keeping it a secret – I see her every day.”

Asda events co-ordinator Lynne Akroyd said: “We’ve never been asked to do anything like this before. When Anna asked if we could help, I couldn’t resist, I'm a real soft touch. There are so many people in that situation – wanting to support their children who are off spreading their wings.”