A police station in north-eastern Paris had to be evacuated on Sunday after it was invaded by fleas, a police union said.
“Police station closed until further notice!” read an notice stuck to the front door of the station, which is located in the 19th arrondissement of the French capital.
The Alliance police union said on Twitter the station had ‘“suffered a flea invasion, “making working conditions intolerable” for days.
Despite pest control efforts, the problem, which surfaced three weeks ago, had worsened on Thursday, with officers suffering multiple bites, France Bleu Paris radio station reported.
Some officers had inadvertently taken the fleas with them, with the pests causing havoc back home, union official Emmanuel Cravello told the station.
“Several colleagues consulted doctors after bites,” said Cravello. “The problem is that some officials have brought this back home and after that it’s the kids who are bitten. This cannot go on.”
The Alliance union is demanding the entire site be fumigated, a process that can take at least 48 hours, saying it should have been done weeks ago.
Union officials are to meet on Monday with interior minister Christophe Castaner to talk about the health of emergency workers.
