'Bed bug' spotted crawling on Brit’s leg on public transport might not be what it seems

Fears that the bed bug infestation which was first spotted in Paris and may now have made its way to these shores are making a home on the tube may be unfounded, experts have suggested.

Bed bugs are right up there with wasps for insects which people hate because they're just absolute d*cks and now it looks like we're in for some unwelcome encounters.

The blood-sucking little f**ks are a one-way ticket to turning your place of greatest comfort into a nest of unpleasantness and they don't even have the good grace to be easy to get rid of either.

Now it looks like they've also discovered the wonders of public transport as well, as a woman spotted what appeared to be a bed bug crawling up her leg on the Victoria Line of the London Underground.

However, some experts have suggested that the days of the bed bug figuring out how to use an oyster card aren't quite here yet as it might have been another creepy crawly.

TikTok/@lassogold

Now nobody's saying that it's fine to have a bug crawling up your leg on public transport but if it's not a bed bug that's at least a positive thing.

While a woman posted a video complaining that 'a f**king bed bug is on my leg', Professor Richard Wall of the University of Bristol has poured doubt on whether it is that particular pest.

Speaking to Metro, he said he thought it probably wasn't a bed bug as the insect was not 'flat enough' to be one.

He also noted that it was 'too big' to be a tick and that bed bugs are 'largely nocturnal' creatures which would probably hide away under the brightness of a London Underground train instead of hopping on someone's leg.

The British Pest Control Association also thought it probably wasn't a bed bug, noting that they usually emerge 'between 1am and 5am'.

Getty Stock Photo

Transport for London said it was 'aware of any outbreaks in London' but was keeping a vigilant eye on what was happening.

It said: "We are continuing to implement our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures that have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean.

"We are committed to providing a clean and safe environment on our bus, Tube and rail service for our customers and staff, and we would like to reassure our customers that we continue to maintain our already high standards of cleanliness, so our staff and customers can use the network safely and with confidence."

LADbible has contacted TfL for further comment.

Topics: UK News, Animals, Health, London

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker