A MUM-of-four says she saw bed bugs "crawling" in her baby's Moses basket as she is battling an infestation in her tower block flat.

Albion Towers resident Mary Cove says she has "tried everything" to get rid of the pests from her first-floor flat.

She has also spotted a small mark on baby Chelsie's cheek that may have been a bug bite.

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The 37-year-old told the Echo: "I've got little blister bites on me. I have a 15-week old baby who was born very premature weighing 900g, and found them crawling inside her Moses basket.

"My partner is being bitten quite badly so he has gone to stay with his mates. 

"I haven't been sleeping in my own bed. They are more in my room I think. I have been sleeping on the sofa with my baby in a Moses basket, but my partner was getting bitten on the sofa as well.

"They are probably spread around the flat."

She added that she has been having to throw her things away because of the issue, and she can't always afford to replace them.

"It's a joke," she said.

She said that the block of flats, a council-owned tower block in St Mary's, is "infested" with the pests.

Mary added: "If (the council) does not fumigate the whole block, they are never going to get rid of them.

"I have tried everything. I have sprayed the room with bed bug spray, but forgot to spray the curtains so they didn't go."

She said she is thankful that her other children, aged 4, 5 and 6, have not been bitten.

Mary says the council have been in contact to say that they will be coming out to fix the issue, but she does not know when that will be.

This is not the first tower block flat in the city to have seen a bed bug infestation.

In April this year, residents in Rotterdam Towers reported being blighted by the bugs, as reported by the Echo.

A block in Swaythling also reported the same issue in August last year.

Southampton City Council said it is working with pest control to manage the issue.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Housing Management is aware of issues with a couple of properties in Albion Towers where bed bugs have been detected.

"We are working jointly with colleagues in Pest Control and are undertaking surveys and treatments to support residents."

Residents are encouraged to report any issues to Central Local Housing.

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