‘We destroyed my mum’s belongings due to bedbugs’

Mrs Sohta relies on help from her daughter and grandchildren and visitors have taken measures when they enter the flats to stop the bedbugs from spreading.

Mrs Adbulla said: “They have carers coming in and attending to them.

“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.”

PA Housing director of neighbourhoods and customer contact, Sally-Anne Underhill, said no residents were instructed to throw away their possessions and all residents affected had been offered temporary accommodation.

She said: “When we were first notified of the problem in May, we began treatment and offered temporary accommodation to residents.

“Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to remove and to date our contractors have been unable to locate the source of the infestation.

“A full three-day fumigation, including all communal areas, was carried out in August and our contractors have continued to visit weekly.

“We’re sorry that residents are experiencing this.”