Northampton dad says he is going 'crazy' because an 'entire block of council flats could be infested with bedbugs'

A Northampton father is calling on the council's housing provider to fumigate a whole block of flats after claiming the entire building could be infested with bedbugs.

This newspaper first reported on bedbugs at St Marks House in March 2021, run by Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), where the resident said it had been an issue for six months.

In July 2022, Chronicle and Echo were called by a different resident at St Marks House who said she had fled her property because of bedbugs. And now, Shaquille Alves, who recently moved in to St Marks House, says his mother and six-year-old son woke up with “loads of rashes”.

The 26-year-old said: "I've never had bed bugs in my life. I've never seen a bedbug. And then my mum was staying in bed with my son and I was staying in the living room and in the morning they woke up with loads and loads of rashes.

"Pest control confirmed there were eggs in here but I was still slightly in denial because it's my flat and I had never been bit before and I'm a very clean person. I just didn't understand why there would be bedbugs in my house. Last week was the first ever time I physically saw one, crawling on me and on the door. Ever since then I can't even touch anything. I'm itching and rubbing myself ever since. It's really, really bad. I feel like my skin is crawling. It's just driving myself crazy."

Shaquille says he has raised this with NPH who, he claims, initially told him that he should “deal with it himself”.

The father said that “100 million percent” he should have been made aware of previous and current bedbug issues at the building before moving in, but he was not.

Shaquille believes that the entire building could be infested, claiming that at least four properties are currently infested and that two have recently been infested.

Asked for a solution, Shaquille said: "I'd like to see everyone removed from the block and every single flat fumigated, that seems to be the only realistic option."

Shaquille says he may have to throw away thousands of pounds worth of furniture which is “going to be devastating”.

After Chronicle and Echo got in touch, NPH has since sent out a pest control contractor.

An NPH spokeswoman said: "We’re sorry that Mr Alves is having problems with bed bugs in his property, we understand how difficult this pest issue is for him and his family. This issue in Mr Alves’ home was first reported to us two weeks ago, and prior to Mr Alves moving into his home, we had not received any reports of an infestation in this property.

"We’ve carried out pest control treatments at a small number of properties in Mr Alves’ block and we’ve already arranged for our pest control contractors to visit Mr Alves on Monday November 14. We will continue to work with residents and take the necessary steps to access and treat the affected properties.

"We would take this opportunity to remind residents in any blocks, that treatment will only be fully effective if contractors can gain access to the properties affected and carry out the full course of treatments.”