France is under attack from the bedbug. Video footage on social media shows the bugs crawling around on the Paris metro. Sightings have also been reported in cinemas and at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. The deputy mayor of Paris said there was a proliferation of the tiny creatures. He said his government was acting to deal with the "widespread" rise in bedbugs. He also said: "You have to understand that in reality, no one is safe. Obviously, there are risk factors, but, you can catch bedbugs anywhere in the world and bring them home."

France's bedbug problem is not new. Three years ago, there was a campaign to reduce infestations in cities. However, despite different measures, the numbers of the blood-sucking insects surged. There is a new initiative to cut bug populations, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. This includes fumigation companies helping to exterminate the bugs. The deputy mayor said there was no threat to the Olympics. He said: "Bedbugs existed before and they will exist afterwards." A sanitation expert agreed, saying the problem was, "an emerging phenomenon…almost everywhere".