A horrified family have woken up with bed bugs crawling on their faces after struggling with an infestation for over a year. Sharon Brookes says her family have been forced to strip their walls and throw out their beds and carpets in a battle against the pests.
But despite these extreme measures, the 52-year-old says the critters just "keep coming back". The mum-of-two added that she is completely "mortified and embarrassed" by the situation, with the family having run out of options to tackle the invasion, the Mirror reports.
Since first spotting the creepy-crawlies, Sharon says they have had 'more than 10 treatments' to get rid of them, but with no success. She added: "We have got rid of beds, stripped the walls of wallpaper, got rid of carpets, sprayed everything. We have lost everything."
Sharon lives in a council house in Southampton, Hamps, with her husband Alan, 62, who is a full-time carer, as well as her 19-year-old daughter and two-year-old grandson. Living in a home riddled with pests is a struggle for the 52-year-old, who has a range of health issues, including acute psoriasis - which is made worse by stress.
Because of this, the family-of-four requested the council deal with the issue accordingly. Sharon claims that Southampton Council instead charged them a whopping £375 to deal with the matter.
Sharon said she urged them to relocate the family somewhere else as they can no longer deal with the situation, the council declined her request. She said: "I have begged the council to move us out but they refuse because apparently, we can take the bugs with us."
She went on to add that for three months, her daughter and grandson were shockingly forced to sleep on the floor, before they purchased a blow-up mattress.
Meanwhile, the mum said she has had to sleep on the sofa, because they got rid of their bed. Speaking on behalf of the whole family, Sharon said that they are at their wit's end, saying: "We are too old for this. We can't relax or rest.
"I have woken up with bed bugs on my face. I have had enough of it. We just need help. It has been going on too long."
A Southampton City Council spokesperson commented on the issue, saying: “While we sympathise with tenants who are affected by bed bugs, pest control is a tenant’s responsibility and therefore a chargeable service. Where tenants are unable to afford the full cost of treatment, assessments are made and payment plans are considered; the cost is also subsidised for council tenants who access the service through their Local Housing Office."
They continued: "Unfortunately, due to the high demand for council housing in Southampton and risk of bed bugs spreading, it isn’t possible to move households, but we always try to help with treatments, with Pest Control colleagues visiting multiple times where necessary, and we provide lots of advice on our website for tenants to refer to.”
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