A mum-of-four claims a bed bug infestation in her flat is so bad that it has riddled her baby's Moses basket - to the point where she has seen the pests "crawling" over it.
Mary Cove, 37, has said she has tried absolutely "everything" to get rid of the pests from her first-floor flat in the Albion Towers, Southampton.
She is now urging the council to step in and fumigate the place after spotting a small mark on her newborn baby Chelsie's cheek - which she believes may have arisen from a bug bite.
Speaking about the horrific conditions that she has had to live in recently, the mum from Hampshire said: "I've got little blister bites on me.
"I have a 15-week old baby who was born very premature weighing 900g, and found them crawling inside her Moses basket.
"My partner is being bitten quite badly so he has gone to stay with his mates."
She also added that she refuses to sleep in her own room, saying: "I haven't been sleeping in my own bed as I think there are more in my room.
"I have been sleeping on the sofa with my baby in a Moses basket, but my partner was getting bitten on the sofa as well. They are probably spread around the flat."
The mum has added that she is worried sick about the bugs spreading and has been forced to throw belonging away because of the issue.
However, she cannot always afford to replace them, saying the environment she is living is "a joke."
She said she is thankful that her other children, aged four, five and six, have not been bitten though.
Mary has gone on to claim that the Albion Towers - a council-owned tower block in the St Mary's area of the city - is 'infested' with the pests.
She is now begging for the council to send workers out to her flat and get rid of the infestation once and for all, adding: "If (the council) does not fumigate the whole block, they are never going to get rid of them.
"I have sprayed the room with bed bug spray, but forgot to spray the curtains so they didn't go."
And despite saying that the council have been in contact to say they will send workers to he address to assess and fix the issue, she has admitted that they have not given her a definitive answer as to when that will be.
Southampton City Council said it is working with pest controllers to manage the issue.
A spokesperson for the council said: “Housing Management is aware of issues with a couple of properties in Albion Towers where bed bugs have been detected.
"We are working jointly with colleagues in Pest Control and are undertaking surveys and treatments to support residents."
