Bedbug-infested mattresses line Paris streets as itchy locals have to toss them

10 October 2023 , 17:13

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A contaminated mattress and bed frame in a street in Paris awaiting rubbish collection (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An epidemic of bedbugs has seen the streets of Paris littered with piles of abandoned mattresses amid concerns the UK could be next in line for an infestation.

The French capital has been plagued by the minute insects feeding on the skin of residents and hotel guests alike. One particular street, Rue Saint Lazare in the city's 9th district, has been described as the worst hit area as its hotels attempt to curb the spread of the problematic bugs.

Huge 'mattress mountains' were pictured dumped on the pavements with some covered in plastic outside Hotel Langlois. Aarya Bondge took footage of the scenes and noted that some of the furniture was clean while others were dirty, suggesting a possible clear out.

Pest control workers spray insect killer solution on to a mattress in a Parisian apartment (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"I did see people doing some loading and unloading in a hotel, just mattresses. I don't know if it was bedbugs, but they might have been throwing out their mattresses because of that."

Aarya said Paris is still suffering from the epidemic and has yet to return back to normal. She added: "Line six of the metro is still terrible, people are standing up to avoid the seats, even I would still rather stand for an hour than touch the seats."

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A horde of bedbugs across Paris is causing concern for residents and travellers (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

French pest controls said that the bugs are now becoming "harder" to exterminate after they began to develop a resistance towards pesticide sprays. Nicolas Roux de Bezieux, who works for a pest control company in France, said: "It’s harder to kill them than it’s ever been. Pest controllers have to return to kill them again because they survive the spray."

Mattresses lying in the street, Rue Saint Lazare in the 9th district of Paris (Aarya Bondge / SWNS)

Witness Aarya Bondge said some of the mattresses where clean while others were dirty (Aarya Bondge / SWNS)

Experts have since warned that the UK could face an invasion of mutant “super” bedbugs as the Parisian creatures become immune to pesticides. Hotels and transport firms across the country are bracing themselves for extra work as some believe an infestation is imminent.

Transport for London bosses said they are “monitoring” the Tube network. On Friday a spokesperson said: “We are not aware of any outbreaks in London, but we will monitor our network and continue our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures which have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean.”

Steven White