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Residents itching to move over return of bedbugs

Terri Avery The outside of Kingfisher Court. There is a car park with a number of cars and taxis parked in front of a 12-storey block of flats. Terri Avery
Residents at Kingfisher Court, Whitehawk, said bedbugs had returned and reinfected their homes

Tenants at a block of flats in Brighton say they are eager to move out after the return of bedbugs, despite council pest controllers spraying them.

Residents at Kingfisher Court, Whitehawk, said the parasites had returned in the walls and reinfected their homes.

One woman in the building, in Albourne Close, said the constant fear of their return had been "soul-destroying".

Brighton & Hove City Council said it was common to see bugs following treatment as the chemical used works by attracting bedbugs to the treated area.

The block of flats has had repeated bedbug infestations since 2020, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Pest controllers hired by the council sprayed the affected areas of the nine-storey block last month.

But one resident of 21 years, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was reluctantly moving out due to the return of the bedbugs.

"It's traumatising, and it's been tough with the amount of things we've had to throw away," she said.

"It's been very expensive. But also for health reasons, it's been soul-destroying."

She added: "I can't cope with this any more."

Terri Avery Close up of black bedbugs inside a mattress. There is a label attached to the white mattress, and black bedbugs coming out of a tear. Terri Avery
Pest controllers sprayed the affected areas of the nine-storey block in Whitehawk last month

Another tenant said they were desperate to move out after repeated failed attempts to eradicate the bugs.

"They're in the walls, so spraying individual properties is not going to be sufficient," they said.

"I know of eight properties that have had them in the last year. That's eight out of 45, which is not a small amount."

Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing and new homes, said treatments can take up to three weeks to work.

"Unfortunately, the reality is bedbugs can be incredibly difficult to remove and often require more than one treatment," she said.

"While it is affecting a relatively small number of homes, we know this is distressing for the residents."

She also said that the treatment was in line with best practice set out by the British Pest Control Association.

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