Children 'eaten alive' in bedbug-infested flat

Codie-Louise Barham found out her flat was infested with bedbugs just days after moving in.

A single mum in Kent has said she is in despair after being moved to social housing infested with bedbugs.

Codie-Louise Barham said her six children - some of whom have special educational needs and health issues - cry every morning, after being "eaten alive" during the night in their Chatham flat.

She said her children aged 12, 11, 10, 9, 6 and 2 wake up every day "covered" in bites and asked: "How can they let us live like this?"

A MHS Homes spokesperson said they understood the "distress" the family faced and that they were working to remove the parasites.

Ms Barham discovered "rife" bedbugs just three days after she moved into the MHS property last March.

She said she followed council advice to repel the bugs and pest control has sprayed her home five times, but they keep returning.

Ms Barham, who suffers heart issues, said she has had to throw away almost all of her furniture and cherished belongings, plus rip up the floor and wallpaper due to the infestation.

According to the NHS, steps to get rid of bedbugs include:

• Wash bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes

• Put affected clothing and bedding in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for 3 or 4 days

• Clean and vacuum regularly

More advice is available here.

"I have just had enough," she said trying to hold back tears. "It's draining me. I have never lived like this before in my life."

She said Christmas and other upcoming celebrations for her children are cancelled this year, as nothing new can be put into the flat.

'We apologise wholeheartedly'

In a statement, MHS Homes, which describes itself as the "largest independent social landlord in the UK", said the "health and safety" of its customers was an "absolute priority".

It acknowledged there had been "challenges" accessing areas of Ms Barham's home in need of treatment by pest control, alongside subsequent delays in follow-up treatment.

"We apologise wholeheartedly," they added.

Ms Barham's property is due another treatment on Friday.