Sadiq Khan issues London Underground warning as tube threatens to be overwhelmed with bedbugs
Sadiq Khan issues London Underground warning as tube threatens to be overwhelmed with bedbugs
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The Mayor of London has warned that the London Underground could soon be plagued with bedbugs, labelling the situation a “real source of concern”.
Sadiq Khan said he was in contact with officials in Paris, following an outbreak of the pests in the French capital.
Footage has emerged of the bugs crawling in schools, trains, hospitals and cinemas.
Eurostar has said it will “as soon as there is any doubt”, as fears grow that the creatures could be carried over to the UK.
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Transport for London (TfL) are understood to be keeping an eye on the concerning situation.
The transport body has said it is disinfecting seats daily as part of its cleaning protocol.
Khan said he had spoken to France to see if they could offer any advice.
He said: “I know people are worried the bugs in Paris could cause a problem in London and I've been in contact with TfL last week and this weekend, making steps to ensure we don't have that problem.
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“Regular cleaning of Tubes and buses, and I'm talking to the Eurostar as well, we have one of the best regimes for cleaning our assets... for a variety of reasons we don't think those issues will arise in London - but there will be no complacency from TfL.”
A video posted on TikTok shows a creature believed to be a bedbug crawling on a passenger’s leg on the London Underground.
The clip, which has been viewed over 1.6 million times, was posted by TikTok user @lassogold, who was commuting on the Victoria line.
The user captioned the video: “Minding my own business on the Victoria line, a f*****g bedbug is on my leg.
Washing bedding on a high temperature can help get rid of bed bugs if people find an infestation
PEXELS“Said he’d got a great deal on the Eurostar and wondered if I could take him home. No!! Sort it out, Transport for London.”
A user commented on the post, making the horrifying joke that “that single one has laid like 400 eggs on those jeans already”.
A bed bug has also been spotted on a bus in Manchester, implying the creatures have already travelled north and are spreading beyond the capital.
Pest control expert Adam Juson attempted to ease fears, saying: “It does look sort of like a bedbug but the video is not really good enough to ID from. The bug is not mobile so this could be a remnant from a treatment or one that has got caught on the person's clothes.
“We have found bedbugs on trains in the past so it's not beyond the bounds of possibility but this looks wrong.”