Sick gran stuck in bed bug-infested flat nine months after GP ordered her to be moved

A grandmother whose “appalling” living conditions made her sick is still in her pest-infested flat, nine months after her GP demanded she be moved urgently for the sake of her health.

Nicky Brown lives in Kennedy Court in Hastings, which has been the epicentre of a bed bug outbreak spread across four tower blocks, collectively known as the Four Courts. As reported by Big Issue in December, scores of residents have experienced repeated infestations over several years. Southern Housing, which owns the Four Courts, was accused of not responding quickly enough and allowing the problem to spiral.

A pest controller sprayed Nicky’s flat with pesticide in September last year to tackle an infestation, but just 24 hours later, she found herself struggling to breathe. The doctor put Nicky on a cocktail of antibiotics and steroids for several weeks. In January, she received some upsetting news.

“I’ve developed what’s called pulmonary fibrosis, which is fibroids on my lungs. It comes under the umbrella of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),” says Nicky. Pulmonary fibrosis means the tissue around the lungs has become thickened or scarred, making it difficult for oxygen to pass through.

Although her consultant can’t be sure why she developed the condition, Nicky fears the spray is responsible. “He said it’s probably caused by my rheumatoid arthritis, but unless he had a full rundown of what they put in that spray, he can’t guarantee it’s not the bed bug spray,” she added.

Nicky also has a compromised immune system, meaning any scratch or bite could have potentially serious consequences.

In October, Nicky’s GP wrote a stern letter to Southern Housing, demanding that the 56-year-old be moved from the flat as soon as possible. Nicky received confirmation that she was on the list for a so called management move within the next six months due to her health problems.

But despite repeated phone calls, nine months later, Nicky is still at Kennedy Court and in the throes of yet another bed bug infestation.

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Earlier this year, it was announced that the Four Courts were to undergo a phased demolition, starting with neighbouring Bevin Court next spring. As Nicky’s physical and mental health continues to suffer, she has had to watch as Southern Housing prioritises moving residents from Bevin.

“I asked Southern if they take priority over the management move people, and the woman just said she didn’t know,” says Nicky. “I feel completely ignored and forgotten.”

She added: “We got a leaflet a couple of weeks back, saying they’ve moved eight people from Bevin already, with 20 moves in progress, and they’ve got 47 properties available.

“If they have 47 properties available, why haven’t they put people in them? If they’re empty, put somebody in them!”

Meanwhile, Nicky’s flat is once again being treated for bed bugs, with Nicky and husband Ian finding as many as 40 in their bed every night.

“We check the bed before we get in it. When I get up for a wee in the night, I have to put my torch on and check the bed before I get back in. It’s an obsession,” she said.

“We have two sheets on the bed, which sounds ridiculous, but if you lie on a bed bug, they pop. And when they do, they stink. It’s like a death smell.

“The bottom sheet gets the blood stain on it, so hopefully with the top sheet, that blood’s not going on us.”

Nicky has taken to keeping the bed bugs in separate dated containers to demonstrate the scale of the problem. “If I knew where (Southern Housing CEO) Paul Hackett’s office was, I would take my pots and empty them on his desk and tell him to live with them,” she said.

“It is disgusting. Nobody should have to sit there with a pot picking bed bugs off their mattress, sheets or pillow cases.”

The infestation is affecting the wider family too. The presence of bed bugs has caused Nicky and Ian’s autistic son to have several meltdowns, and Nicky is too scared to visit her daughter’s home, fearing she will inadvertently bring the bugs with her.

The lack of sleep is also affecting husband Ian, who says he is feeling increasingly depressed by the situation. However, his main concern is Nicky.

“If anything happens to Nicky, if her health gets worse, I will be holding Southern Housing accountable for it,” he vowed.

A spokesperson for Southern Housing said: “We’re continuing to support Ms Brown in finding a new home and empathise with the situation she’s in. Due to the housing crisis, we don’t have the homes available which would cater for Ms Brown’s specific needs and are in the limited area she will consider. In the Hastings borough alone, there are 1,749 people currently on the housing waiting list.

“There is evidently a desperate need for more homes locally and in February 2025, we announced plans to regenerate the Four Courts, which includes Kennedy Court. This redevelopment project will create new, high-quality social homes that better serve the needs of local residents.

“Bevin Court is the first block where we’re supporting residents to move out. This is an independent living block for older and disabled residents and, therefore, the homes we’re identifying for our residents living in this building would not be suitable for Ms Brown.

“We remain in contact with Ms Brown and will be reaching out to her to see if there’s any further support we can give her.”

In December, Southern Housing promised a six-week, building-wide treatment for the bed bugs “early in the new year”. Treatment finally began in mid-July.

The Southern Housing spokesperson added: “To break the cycle of bed bugs, we’re implementing a six-week treatment plan across the Four Courts, based on expert advice.

“We employ specialists who use recognised treatment methods. These treatments are safe, effective, and widely used across the UK, containing fewer toxins than common fly spray.

“Following resident consultation, the majority of residents in three blocks supported treating all flats. Treatment began this month in Kennedy Court and will continue in two other blocks over the next three months.

“Before this long-term treatment began, we’ve continued to carry out individual bed bug treatments. We’ve treated 46 different flats at a cost of over £20,000 between November 2024 and June 2025. None of the treatment costs, both individual and long-term, are being passed on to our residents.

“We remain here to support all residents in tackling this issue and continue to urge any Four Courts residents with a bed bug problem to contact us to arrange treatment at no cost to them.”

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