Tube bosses have been reassuring Londoners they are doing all they can to stop a bedbug infestation as worries grow.
Transport for London has revealed its cleaning regime for the Underground network, as health experts said there is a high chance of an outbreak as the bugs could cross the Channel and reach UK cities and, once they arrive, are nearly impossible to get rid of.
Despite preventative measures, there are concerns the bedbugs may quickly spread to the UK. Some experts have claimed that bedbugs can be found in most UK cities anyway.
So what do we know about the bedbug outbreak and is the UK really at risk?
What is Paris’s bedbug outbreak?
Paris has come under attack from an army of bedbugs. A wave of viral footage has emerged of the critters on bedding across the French capital. The sightings have stoked fears of an unfettered spread as the city prepares to welcome thousands of tourists for the Olympics next year.
On Friday, French transportation minister Clément Beaune pledged to meet transport operators and Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Grégoire warned “no one is safe”.
The government was forced to set up a dedicated hotline to support homeowners in 2020, and extermination costs have topped €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) over five years.
These bugs are increasingly resistant to insecticide, which is one of the main reasons their numbers are on the rise.
How are bedbugs spread?
Bedbugs are small, flat, wingless insects that are a red-brown colour and tiny – measuring less than quarter of an inch long, or 4mm to 6mm.
They hide in furniture – beds, chairs, mattresses, headboards – as well as in the cracks and crevices of walls and floors. They cannot fly or jump but they can crawl very rapidly. They spread by travelling from an infected area and can quickly find a new home, lay eggs and multiply.
They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces, which is what is causing the concern. Many are concerned the bedbugs will come to the UK from Paris from people travelling between the countries.
What is the likelihood of them coming to the UK?
Quite likely is the short answer. Bedbugs have a typical lifespan of between four and six months, meaning they will survive a trip over the Channel should they hitch a lift.
One bedbug expert told how he knew this was going to become an outbreak of large proportions and warned about putting in safety measures more than six years ago.
David Cain, the founder of Bed Bugs Ltd, told the Independent that the creatures are already in the UK, and could multiply quickly given the situation in Paris.
He said: “I have known people go on day trips to Paris, not even staying in hotels or other high-risk activities, and come back with them. Paris has been a popular link for the last six years.
“Business is already booming. I started doing this in 2005, when bedbugs were rare and obscure, but they are not any more.
“If everyone had listened to me in 2006 and started a public education campaign, this wouldn’t be happening.”
What precautions are being undertaken to stop bedbugs spreading?
People are being urged to be vigilant if travelling, and to clean out suitcases, bag up clothes and wash them all on a hot wash upon return from holiday.
They are also urged to regularly hoover and clean their homes.
Eurostar has also announced preventative measures to stop the spread of insects on its trains as Paris continues to struggle with them. The blood-sucking insects have been spotted on cinema seats, public transport and in hotels and the city has already declared war on the bugs.
Speaking to the BBC, a Eurostar spokesperson said trains are being cleaned thoroughly with a hot-water injection system. The spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our number one priority and the presence of insects, such as bedbugs, on our trains is extremely rare.”
The spokesperson maintained that Eurostar trains are “cleaned thoroughly” with methods that are “highly effective in eliminating bugs”.
