Tube passengers 'disgusted' as 'bedbugs spotted in carriage crawling over legs'

09 October 2023 , 15:12

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A London underground passenger claimed to have spotted a bedbug on a train (Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)

Passengers travelling on the London underground have been left disgusted after a person claimed to have spotted a bedbug on the Victoria Line.

A video shared on TikTok shows what appears to be a bedbug crawling over the leg of a commuter, who urged Transport for London (TfL) to "sort it out". The eight-second-long clip shows the insect over the woman's black trousers, and thanks to its colour and shape, it appears similar to a bedbug.

In a statement shared with The Mirror this afternoon, TfL said it is not aware of any bedbug outbreaks in London, but it will continue to monitor the transport network. TfL added all seats are cleaned through vacuuming and shampooing, and any that are not fit for customer use, get replaced.

There have been widespread bedbug infestations in France (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The video was seen by thousands of people, and many commented, but not everyone seemed surprised. One commented: "Why's everyone acting like bedbugs are a new thing it's London they are everywhere already." But others seemed concerned as a person wrote: "I genuinely won't be able to deal with this if it becomes a problem here."

Another added: "My worst nightmare. They are so hard to get rid of." And someone wrote: "Noooo I'm not leaving the house." But some TikTok users pointed out that the insect does not look like a bedbug and could be a tick instead. One commented: "Pretty sure that's a tick... not a bedbug."

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Professor Richard Wall, of the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences, told Metro that the bug is not "flat enough" to be a bedbug. He said: "I'm also pretty confident that it’s not a tick either (too big). It's worth noting that bedbugs are largely nocturnal."

A TfL spokesperson said: "We are continuing to closely monitor our network but are not aware of any outbreaks in London. We are continuing to implement our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures that have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean. We are committed to providing a clean and safe environment on our bus, Tube and rail service for our customers and staff, and we would like to reassure our customers that we continue to maintain our already high standards of cleanliness, so our staff and customers can use the network safely and with confidence."

The video comes amid fears that the UK could experience large-scale bedbug infestations as has been happening in France. Eurostar said it is fighting the threat of a bedbug invasion by stepping up its cleaning regime. With one of the main bridges between the UK and Paris being Eurostar, on Tuesday the company confirmed it was ramping up "preventative treatments" across its entire network to keep the critters on the other side of the Channel, the Independent reported.

On Saturday, France's Education Minister said seven schools in the country were closed over concerns that bedbug infestations are "piling up". Gabriel Attal said an "immediate response" is needed so that institutions can be treated within 24 hours and children can return to class. In an interview with France 5 television, the minister said bedbugs were detected "at various levels" in 17 institutions, and seven schools are currently closed due to the issue.

Mr Attal said while there are over 60,000 schools in France and only a few dozen are currently affected, cases are "piling up". He added a list of "approved and recognised" companies has been prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and regional health agencies "so that the heads of schools can have the contacts and have them intervene very quickly."

Chiara Fiorillo