People living in a block of council flats are upset and worried about a continuing infestation of bed bugs.
According to residents in the Kingfisher Court flats, in Albourne Close, Whitehawk, several flats in the block have bed bug infestations – and tenants want action from Brighton and Hove City Council.
Those who have spoken out have asked to not be identified because they are trying to move out of the building and fear repercussions.
One of the residents believes that the bugs that spend the day in cracks and crevices are in the brickwork of the nine-storey block of 45 flats.
The resident said: “We get messages from the councillor saying it will be looked into but nothing else.
“We are given the understanding it is rife in the brickwork of the blocks.
“There are more cases in this block now right down to the first floor. Apparently, it’s rife in all the blocks in north Whitehawk.”
Another tenant wants to move out, saying that the stress has affected her mental health.
The family has replaced their beds, mattresses, wardrobes and bedroom furniture twice in four years and had “countless” new bedding.
Chemical treatments have also made family members ill.
She said: “My mental health has hit rock bottom this past year. I’ve had counselling but I was signed off until we move because all the setbacks from the council are impacting me so severely.
“I don’t want anything except to be on the Homemove list for a three-bedroom so there’s a light at the end of this nightmare.
“I am a proud woman, born and worked in Brighton all my life. I hate having to beg for help. It’s soul destroying.
“It is ruining our lives. This past year has been a constant battle and I’m so tired of it all.”
Nothing will leave the flat once the family move, the resident said, because she does not want to risk taking bedbug eggs with her.
Another household with a young baby is worried about multiple treatments to get rid of the bugs and yet the block is still “plagued”.
“I don’t want anything except to be on the Homemove list for a three-bedroom…”
Yeah, figures. Good luck with that!
Yeah, with something along the lines of seven and a half thousand people on the waiting list, and three-bedroom properties in particular being a rarer commodity, one can expect to wait a long time indeed.
bed bugs are awful the best bet to get rid of them is zero in bed bug and dust mite killer powder u can get it at b and q
Sorry, I expect you mean to be helpful, but it is patronising to tenants suffering repeated infestations telling them what to use, and imply they can simply manage the problem themselves. It’s gone well beyond that.
very sorry it came across that way i live in a hmo that has had multiple bed bug infestations and it seemed to work.
There are bedbugs in all the blocks the tenants are left in limbo goodluck with trying to move out as we have been told we can’t making tenants stuck
As for Gill Williams councillor she repeats the same quotes every time
On one aspect that I’ve observed, is that you have to prompt people repeatedly to continue to report their housing problems. I get people don’t want to do it because it is tedious, but the prompting does trigger results, in my experience, especially if starts to show up in their KPIs.
And on a different point, if the council aren’t aware this is a problem (or as the article seems to suggest, there was not a follow up request to state the problem was persisting), then how can we reasonably expect a solution?
Took me nearly 15 years to get a 4 Bed , but that was 6 of us in a 2 Bed Flat, I didn’t moan-didn’t get me anywhere to do that, been here 12 Years-and I’m not moving out anytime soon, until kids move out-then I will downsize to Flat or Bungalow.
Only way of properly getting rid is clearing the flats, and fumigation (unfortunately had to do the clearing at a friend)
It is typically three hours after treating all the soft furnishings, with a second session at a later date to catch any eggs. Basically the same methodogy as headlice.
I wonder what the overall decision will be regarding the Whitehawk tower blocks, considering their age and condition?