Family’s Extensive Measures Fail to Eradicate Bedbugs in Mother’s Home

A family’s efforts to resolve a bedbug infestation in their mother’s retirement home, which included temporarily relocating her and destroying most of her possessions, have not fixed the problem, they report. Najma Sota, 75, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, has resided alone in Azad House in Highfields, Leicester, for 13 years. Her daughter, Sakina Abdulla, stated that in May, they discovered her mother’s flat was overrun with bedbugs, which were biting Mrs. Sota. Consequently, they brought her to their home while the flat underwent fumigation, and they disposed of her furniture, clothing, and personal items. PA Housing, the owner of the building, has issued an apology and confirmed it is collaborating with two pest control contractors to “eradicate” the bedbugs, acknowledging that they are a “notoriously difficult” pest. Ms. Abdulla, 55, recounted the situation, saying: “There was a point where I had to move her out, replace everything in her house, put everything brand-new, which was a cost.” She detailed the extent of the destruction: “We threw a three-seater leather sofa, footstool, bed, cupboard, sideboard, small table, feeding trolley, clothes, kitchen utensils, a small cabinet.” Ms. Abdulla added, “I can’t even remember other stuff, a CD player plus other personal things in the flat – basically everything.” Mrs. Sota has since returned to Azad House, but her family indicates that the bedbug issue has not been fully resolved, with the pests still present in her flat, though in reduced numbers. Ms. Abdulla commented on the situation: “They have admitted they have got an ongoing issue with the structure.” She emphasized the urgency: “They need to sort it. It’s all vulnerable people living here, and it’s just not fair for these people to be living in these conditions.” Ms. Abdulla confirmed that the family has been in communication with PA Housing. However, despite repeated spraying and assurances to resolve the situation, the problem persists across multiple properties within the building block. She described the current state as: “This is a crisis now.” Mrs. Sota relies on assistance from her daughter and grandchildren, and visitors entering the flats have adopted preventative measures to prevent the spread of bedbugs. Mrs. Abdulla expressed concern for other residents, stating: “They have carers coming in and attending to them.” She added, “I don’t know how those people are living because my mum’s got me, I’ve stood up for her, I’m fighting for her, but the rest of them, I don’t know what their situation is.” Sally-Anne Underhill, PA Housing’s director of neighbourhoods and customer contact, clarified that no residents were instructed to discard their possessions and that all affected residents were offered temporary accommodation. She stated: “When we were first notified of the problem in May, we began treatment and offered temporary accommodation to residents.” Underhill acknowledged the challenge: “Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to remove and to date our contractors have been unable to locate the source of the infestation.” She further explained: “A full three-day fumigation, including all communal areas, was carried out in August and our contractors have continued to visit weekly.” Concluding, she said: “We’re sorry that residents are experiencing this.”