Hull Crown Court hit by flea infestation, say officials

Hull Crown Court will undergo fumigation on Tuesday

Hull Crown Court is to be "urgently" fumigated to rid it of fleas, officials have said.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed affected areas were closed on Monday, with pest controllers due to visit on Tuesday.

Affected hearings would be rescheduled "at the earliest opportunity", a spokesperson said.

One Hull pest controller said the infestation would be "hard to get under control" as the building was so busy.

A spokesperson for HM Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service said: "We are working urgently to resolve the issue - the site remains open but affected areas have been closed off.

"Any hearings impacted will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity."

Chris Welham, from Hull-based Elite Pest Control, said it would be "difficult to control given the number of people going in and out of courtrooms".

Adult fleas feed solely on blood, say experts

Mr Welham said fumigation involved "essentially filling every room and corridor with smoke or fog that is mixed with poison".

"The poison settles, killing the fleas," he said.

Flea infestations

• Flea larvae feed on debris and adult flea droppings. Adult fleas feed solely on vertebrate blood

• Approximately 1/8-inch-long, they have no wings and are laterally flattened and possess piercing and sucking mouthparts

• Adult fleas' legs enable them to jump up to six inches in height

• The total lifecycle of the flea is just four weeks during the summer months

• Bites can produce an allergic reaction, with the typical symptom being a red spot

• In most situations, an infestation is most likely to have been caused by a cat, dog or bird flea

• The human flea is extremely rare. Fleas can be carried into buildings by an animal or a person

Source: Elite Pest Control