We wake up with bed bugs on our faces in horror infestation but the council wont move us in case we tak… – The Sun

A "DESPERATE" family are crying out for help after being stuck in a bed bug infested house for over a year.

Mum Sharon Brookes, 52, says her family of four have had to rip up carpets and throw beds away as they wake up with the pests on their FACES.

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Sharon lives in a council house in Southampton, Hampshire with her husband Alan, 62, their 19-year-old daughter and two-year-old grandson.

Alan is her full-time carer as she struggles with a range of health issues, including acute psoriasis which she says is being made worse by the stress.

She adds she is "mortified and embarrassed" by the ordeal and that whatever they do, the bugs "keep coming back".

The distraught mum said: "We have done everything we could possibly do. We've had more than 10 treatments and they still keep coming back.

"We have got rid of beds, stripped the walls of wallpaper, got rid of carpets, sprayed everything. We have lost everything."

Despite this, the family say that the local council won't let them move out while the pests are dealt with because they are worried they will take bugs with them to a new house.

The local authority have even reportedly charged 375 for dealing with the issue, which still has not been fixed despite starting last summer.

Sharon said: "I have begged the council to move us out but they refuse because apparently, we could take the bugs with us.

"We are too old for this. We can't relax or rest.

"I have woken up with bed bugs on my face. I have had enough of it. We just need help. It has been going on too long."

Sharon claims that her daughter and grandson had to sleep on the floor for three months before they could get an air mattress, while she slept on the sofa because they had to get rid of the beds.

Southampton City Council said that there are reports of bed bugs across the city and not just in council blocks.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Our housing team is working with Pest Control to support the resident and treat the infestation.

"Pest control is a tenants responsibility and as such a chargeable service. Where tenants are unable to afford the full cost of treatment, affordability assessments are completed and payment instalments considered.

"The cost is also subsidised for council tenants who access the service through the housing team.

"The cost will depend on the extent of the infestation on how many visits are needed, number of staff required and the duration required for each visit.

"If tenants have a pest problem, there is advice on our website and experts in the Pest Control department can be contacted for more details."

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We wake up with bed bugs on our faces in horror infestation but the council wont move us in case we tak... - The Sun