British holidaymaker scarred from 200 bedbug bites

The ordeal comes as fears grow that the bedbug outbreak in France could spread to the UK.

Holidaymaker, Sharon Haslam, 65, said the insects had left a “big red” blotch on her face and arms and now fears the blemishes may “never go away”.

After staying at the Calypso Hotel in Blackpool, Sharon and her friend Marian Pearson, 60, woke up to find themselves covered in an itchy rash.

The women discovered bed bugs in their room. (Image: SWNS)

British holidaymaker left scarred  with bedbug bites

The pair made a last-minute booking at the hotel for two nights, costing £170, so they could join eight friends for a birthday bash in the resort town on September 8.

But when they got up the next morning, they found droplets of blood covering their bedding and a live bedbug crawling around next to them.

Sharon said they’d now received a full refund from their travel agency Booking.com, along with £100 in compensation, but still felt scarred from the experience.

They received full refunds. (Image: SWNS)

However now she is hoping to alert others of the dangers of bedbugs as fears grow they're already on the march from Paris, prompting a deep clean of seats on London's tube network.

Speaking of the matter, Sharon said: "When we woke up, my friend pulled her sheets back and noticed there was blood. We thought ‘Where has that come from?’

“Then we found mine also had specs of blood all over the sheets as well. It took us ten minutes to work it out.

“We started to look around the floor and found droplets of blood, and then I found a live bed bug. I captured it in a little cup.

“I got to the reception and presented them with the bug in the cup.”

After leaving the hotel, Marian said the pair immediately doused themselves in bug spray, before finding alternative accommodation to stay in for their next night.

But when they got home, she said the bite marks had kept reappearing.

Marian was prescribed strong antibiotics, antihistamine tablets and creams - after doctors feared the bites could lead to an infection.

Sharing: "As soon as I arrived home, my partner took my luggage to the tip.

“We tied up the clothes in air-tight bags and then opened them in the washing machine and washed them.”

A spokesperson for the Calypso Hotel previously admitted they’d received previous complaints about “bug issues”.

But they said an inspector from Blackpool council found no evidence of bedbugs just two days before Marian and Sharon’s stay.

They said: “We have had few complaints about the bug issues. We take any complaint regarding bed bugs very seriously and deal with it immediately.

“Most of the time customers complain just to get a refund. A few weeks ago we had two rooms complaining about the same and when we checked with a UV torch no evidence was found.”