Home Office spent thousands to get rid of bedbug infestation at Westminster HQ
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The Home Office was forced to spend thousands of pounds on sniffer dogs to help get rid of a bedbug infestation at its headquarters in Westminster, the Standard can reveal. An investigation by the Government Property Agency (GPA) found traces of bedbugs in furniture in a building on the Marsham Street complex, which is also home to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, earlier this year.
In total, the Home Office had to spend £5,536 on the dogs to look into an infestation of the bugs during the summer, a Freedom of Information request found. The costs made up part of a £11,072 payment spent on “dog detection air sampling,” which was invoiced to the GPA in July.
The i previously reported that the building had become contaminated with the bedbugs with some furniture having to be sealed to stop them from spreading. A notice seen by the newspaper said tests had been carried out by the GPA’s specialist pest control contractors and told staff further traces of the parasite had been found in the Peel building, suggesting they had previously been found on the site.
The staff notice explained pest control has “sealed and moved affected furniture away as a precautionary measure” and will be carrying out “treatment of the area”. The department told the Standard that no money had to be spent on new furniture or pest control due to the issue and it previously said all buildings had remained safe and open for use.
