Itchy business: swarm of bedbugs invade man's house in West Hendon

Muhammed Afzal, of West Hendon Broadway, Hendon, says his life has been “ruined” by the parasites, which he claims set up camp in his home last year.

The 28-year-old has barely had any sleep in the past few months as the pests crawl on his skin while he is in bed.

He also claims he often wakes up in the middle of the night to find the insects creeping into his mouth, so is forced to sleep on the couch instead.

However Gold Estates, which owns the property, said that as the bedbugs appeared after Mr Muhammed moved in they are unable to clear the infestation.

Mr Muhammed said: “I wake from my dreams only to be thrown into a real-life nightmare. Hundreds of them crawl up and down my skin every day.

“It makes me feel physically sick and I feel dizzy from disgust during the day. I haven’t been able to sleep in so long out of fear. It’s revolting.

“Even when I’m not at home now I am paranoid they are on my body. I am constantly itching and it is the most uncomfortable feeling in the world.”

BELOW: ten things you didn't know about bedbugs

Mr Afzal, who is unemployed, moved into the privately-owned flat in February 2013 and the £850 a month rent is subsidised by housing benefit.

He claims the fleas have bitten his eyelids, legs, arms, chest and face more than 100 times and he has even tried throwing away his clothes – but nothing stops them from returning.

The majority are around eight millimetres long but others are too small to see with the naked eye.

Despite attempting to disinfect his bedroom and clear the infestation with home remedies, they keep returning and Mr Afzal feels powerless to stop them.

He said: “I’ve tried to clear up the whole room and changed my sheets so many times, and when they return I’m in shock.

“It’s a distressing thing to have to go through. I would like to live a normal life but I can’t at the moment, it is so embarrassing.

“I feel like crying all the time. I’d love to go and find a job but at the moment, I just feel depressed. It’s changed my whole personality. I’m now afraid all the time.”

In a statement, Gold Estates said if a pest problem is caused by a structural defect – for instance, if rats are entering due to broken sewer pipe – it is the responsibility of the landlord to repair.

However once a tenant has moved in, if they encounter any infestations, it is their responsibility to remove them and cover the costs involved.

In a statement, Shenna Singh, an estate agent for the firm, said: “We always make sure all of our properties are pest free, furnished or not, before a tenant moves in.

“There are three other flats in that building that have had no pest control issues to date. Bed bugs and other pests can spread from personal belongings, bags and other persons.”

STOCK PHOTO: bed bugs, eggs and insect faeces as they may appear on a matress

Don’t let the bedbugs bite: ten facts about bedbugs...

By Anna Slater and Danny Wiser

1. Put away the Persil. If you thought bed bugs only lived in dirty, cluttered homes, you thought wrong. You could be the cleanest and tidiest person on earth and still wake up to find the creepy crawlies lurking in your bed.

2. One single pregnant bedbug is all it takes to start an entire infestation. They can lay between one and five eggs a day. Gulp.

3. Hiding in a darkened room won’t stop the bedbugs from feasting on your skin. They can bite anytime, day or night.

4. And not even your pets are safe. Bedbugs can live on the skin of dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice. Better go check Rover, pronto...

5. Feeling hungry? Bedbugs can go a whole year without eating a single thing.

6. If you suspect a bedbug infestation, you’ll need to clean your household appliances too including your coffee maker, your oven and your kettle. Tasty.

7. They have two mouths – one to inject their saliva in your skin (lovely) and another to withdraw your blood. Sounds a bit vampire-like.

8. They might be disgusting/revolting/sickening/all of the above, but they don’t actually carry any infectious diseases. Oh, well that makes EVERYTHING better*.

9. They might be fast moving, pesky little things but they don’t actually have wings. They can’t fly, hop or jump from the floor to your bed. Yeah, because that makes us feel better (!)

10. Baby bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed (aww!) and mature ones are the size of an apple pip. Aaaand that’s the last time I ever eat a poppy seed or an apple again.

*Not