Eurostar and Transport for London ‘monitoring networks' amid French bedbug fears

Eurostar has revealed it will be cleaning its trains if there is the "slightest doubt" of a bedbug infestation amid concerns the outbreak could spread to the UK.

The outbreak in Paris has been gaining increased media attention over the past week, with reports of bedbug sightings in cinemas, transport links, and schools.

A spokesperson for Eurostar said: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our number one priority and the presence of insects such as bedbugs on our trains, is extremely rare.

"The textile surfaces on all of our trains are cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis and this involves hot-water injection and extraction cleaning, which has proven highly effective in eliminating bugs."

They added: "Any reports on hygiene matters are taken very seriously and our cleaning teams, in addition to the usual cleaning, will also disinfect a train on request or as soon as there is the slightest doubt."

Eurostar stated it has plans to introduce preventive treatment "across [its] entire network".

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) said: "We are not aware of any outbreaks in London, but we will monitor our network and continue our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures which 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 the Tube 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."

London hotels were warned of a bedbug epidemic in 2016 after experts raised the alarm over a highly resistant strain of the insects in the South-East.