'We destroyed my mum's belongings due to bedbugs'

A family who temporarily moved their mother out of her retirement home and destroyed most of her belongings due to a bedbug infestation have said it did not fix the problem.

Najma Sota, 75, has Parkinson's disease and has lived alone in Azad House in Highfields, Leicester, for 13 years.

Her daughter Sakina Abdulla said in May, they discovered her flat was crawling with bedbugs that were biting her mother, so took her home with them while her flat was fumigated, and destroyed her furniture, clothing and personal items.

PA Housing, which owns the building, has apologised and said it was working with two pest control contractors to "eradicate" the bedbugs, but added they had proven a "notoriously difficult" pest.

Ms Abdulla, 55, said: "There was a point where I had to move her out, replace everything in her house, put everything brand-new, which was a cost.

"We threw a three-seater leather sofa, footstool, bed, cupboard, sideboard, small table, feeding trolley, clothes, kitchen utensils, a small cabinet.

"I can't even remember other stuff, a CD player plus other personal things in the flat - basically everything."

Mrs Sota is back living in Azad House, but her family said the issue of bedbugs had not been fully tackled and they were still in her flat, albeit in smaller numbers.

Ms Abdulla said: "They have admitted they have got an ongoing issue with the structure.

"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 said the family had been in touch with PA Housing.

But despite spraying and promises to solve the situation, the issue remains ongoing for multiple properties inside the block.

She said: "This is a crisis now."

Mrs Sota 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."

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