Bedbugs spotted in 2 UK cities sparking fears infestation has spread from Paris

10 October 2023 , 08:11

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There are fears Britain could be hit by a bedbug infestation (Image: BBC)

Bedbugs have been reportedly spotted on public transport in London and Manchester, fuelling fears that the UK may experience infestations on a scale similar to France.

A TikTok user shared a video of an insect crawling over her legs and 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. TfL said it was not aware of any bedbug outbreak in London, but it will continue to monitor the situation. An expert also said the insect does not seem to be "flat enough" to be a bedbug.

Following the London incident, a passenger on a First Bus in Manchester posted a photo of a bug on the window on X (formerly Twitter), with the caption: "hey@FirstBusnews your 59 to oldham mumps has bedbugs i suggest you do something about this quickly lol." The company replied, asking the social media user to share more information so that the sighting could be reported.

A woman on TikTok claimed she spotted a bedbug on the London underground - but some people were not convinced (@lassogold/TikTok)

First Manchester wrote: "This is really concerning to see, and we do apologise for this. Were you able to get the fleet number so we can report this to our depot management team? If not, please could you confirm the stop you boarded from, and the time? Thanks." The passenger replied: "Hi i unfortunately didn’t get the board number however, I boarded the bus at about 2:45 from piccadilly and got off at the barrow hill road stop going towards waterloo road at about 15:00."

While in both cases it has not been confirmed that the insects spotted were actually bedbugs, Brits have been on alert since France began experiencing large-scale infestations, with a number of schools being closed for treatment. The Eurostar, one of the main bridges between the UK and France, said it was ramping up "preventative treatments" across its entire network to keep the critters on the other side of the Channel.

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A tenth of all French households are believed to have had a bedbug problem over the past few years, usually requiring a pest control operation which can be costly and needs to be repeated more than once. The blood-sucking insects have been spotted in the Paris metro, high-speed trains and at Paris's Charles De Gaulle airport. However, Paris transport operator RATP said there was no official confirmation that bedbugs had been found on its services.

As Brits worry over bedbugs, Aaron Christensen, resident cleaning expert and VP of Growth at Homeaglow, has shared some tips on how to avoid a bedbug infestation while on public transport, and how to remove the insects from your luggage, bags and coat. She said: "Bedbugs typically like to hide away in soft linings and fabric, so while it might be unlikely you'll pick up a bed bug on public transport, it's not impossible that your seat could be hiding some of the critters in their seams.

Pest control technician Lucas Pradalier sprays an insecticide under a mattress in Paris (AP)

"To reduce the chances of catching bedbugs on the bus, train or tube, it's advisable to avoid sitting down on fabric-lined seating or upholstered items and keep your bag with you or at your feet, rather than placing it on a seat next to you. If you're still worried about bed bugs latching onto your bag, covering bags with a plastic bag when you're commuting can prevent the bugs from climbing up or getting hold of the fabric."

If your bag becomes infested with bedbug, or you suspect it has, Homeaglow advises people to isolate the items, for example in a plastic box, and avoid bringing them into the bedroom or other living areas. The bag should also be emptied and all the contents placed in plastic bags to prevent any bedbugs from escaping and infesting other parts of your home. You should also wash any clothing using hot settings, vacuum the bags inside and out, and dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister straight away, discarding of it outside your home.

Similarly, if your coat becomes infested with bedbugs, you should isolate it, checking the inside and outside thoroughly, washing it on a high temperature (if machine washable) depending on the washing instructions, then brushing and vacuum it. People are also advised to steam clean the coat, or take it to a dry cleaner - but first, ask them if it is possible, as not every dry cleaner will accept items infested with bedbugs.

After being approached regarding the London incident, TfL told The Mirror: "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."

A spokesperson for First Manchester said: "Our buses are cleaned thoroughly each evening by a specialist team using highly effective and long-lasting cleansing products. We have no reports of bugs being identified and our team remains vigilant as part of the normal cleaning regime."

Chiara Fiorillo