0:00:02 > 0:00:06We asked you who has left you feeling ripped off when it comes to
0:00:06 > 0:00:09your holidays and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12When we got to the hotel, it wasn't to the standard.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We felt totally ripped off and we paid to move somewhere else.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16It happens all the time,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21that somebody else has paid less for the holiday that I've paid more for.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26or a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29we'll find out why you're out-of-pocket,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and what you can do about it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37Your stories, your money, this is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello and, in this case, a very warm welcome to Rip Off Britain
0:00:40 > 0:00:44where, along with a little sunshine, from the lovely island of Tenerife,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47we'll be bringing you plenty of tips and advice,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50in particular on how to stop your holiday being totally ruined by the
0:00:50 > 0:00:55arrival of some unwanted guests and in this case, we do not mean people,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- Angela, do we?- No, we don't, Gloria. In fact, what we are talking about
0:00:59 > 0:01:02are various creatures that when you're on the beach
0:01:02 > 0:01:05or in your hotel room, are said to be on the increase.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08So, as we find out just why that might be,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11we're also going to be sure that you are armed with everything you need
0:01:11 > 0:01:14to know to avoid them causing a problem and, Julia,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I am feeling that I'm itching already.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Yeah, well, all these ticklish little customers can prove more than
0:01:21 > 0:01:22just an annoyance. In some cases,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25they can actually make or break your holiday.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28One in particular can be especially difficult to shake off
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and what's more, it only really comes out at night.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35So, it's just as your head is hitting the pillow that you may
0:01:35 > 0:01:37suddenly realise you're sharing your sheets
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- with some very unsavoury bedfellows. - Ouch.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Coming up: They're back with a vengeance.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Bedbugs.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49So, what happens if they've infested your holiday accommodation?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It's just awful to hear the kids crying and I just felt...
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We just both felt really bad, felt really guilty that it was
0:01:56 > 0:01:59supposed to be fun for them and it had just turned into a nightmare.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04And if it's true that there are more jellyfish than ever off UK shores,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08what is the best way to avoid being stung on a day at the beach?
0:02:08 > 0:02:10It looked like she'd had boiling water
0:02:10 > 0:02:11poured over the tops of her legs.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14They were really red and very hot.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17It took us a long time to try and get her to calm down.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19She went into anaphylactic shock.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Now, in our last series, we reported on a really horrible subject -
0:02:25 > 0:02:29that of bedbugs in hotel accommodation abroad.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31But I'm afraid now and I have to tell you,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33I'm itching at the very thought of it,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36the problem is rather closer to home, because those pesky,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39unbearable critters are now hitching a ride back to our own shores,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43in unprecedented numbers. And that means, and yes, you've guessed it,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45even if you are on holiday in the UK,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47you could find yourself sharing a room
0:02:47 > 0:02:50with some of the most unwelcome bedfellows,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51as happened to one family
0:02:51 > 0:02:54who captured the whole thing late at night on camera.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Now, they're not the sort of guests anyone would want to share a hotel
0:02:59 > 0:03:02bed with. They hide in your sheets and then they come out at night
0:03:02 > 0:03:03to feast on your blood.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07And if they get into your luggage, well,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10you could end up taking them home as a souvenir.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Yes, it's the dreaded bedbug,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16which, as we reported last year, seems to be making a big comeback.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20We started seeing the bugs coming out from the headboard
0:03:20 > 0:03:24and the sockets and behind the pictures on the walls
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and everything again, and we said, we just can't stay in that room.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Tracey Lorenz told us how her holiday in Fuerteventura
0:03:32 > 0:03:34was absolutely ruined by them.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I was really itchy, covered in bites,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39all up my arms and legs.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I had bites up my face.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44In my ears, where my face was on the pillow,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46across my back and my front.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I was literally covered in bites.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I am so itchy already. Now, in the 1980s,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55bedbugs had all but been eradicated in the developed world
0:03:55 > 0:03:57but now, I'm afraid, they're on the rise again
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and it isn't just on holidays abroad that you might come across them.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05New infestations are reported in the UK every single week.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Now, Dr James Logan of the London School Of Tropical Medicine
0:04:09 > 0:04:13is one of the country's leading experts on the pesky little devils
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and knows all about the rise in numbers.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19We found that there was around a sort of 30% increase
0:04:19 > 0:04:22in bedbug infestations every year
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and it's probably due to a number of things, including an increase
0:04:25 > 0:04:28in people travelling, and that might be contributing a little bit
0:04:28 > 0:04:32to bedbugs getting spread around the country.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And it seems they've spread to all kinds of different accommodation,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41as childminder Nicky Martin found out after a much-needed night away.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Her children, Evie and Alfie,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45had been so keen to go camping
0:04:45 > 0:04:47but, worried about what creepy-crawlies
0:04:47 > 0:04:50there might be around a tent, Nicky wasn't so sure.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52The children really wanted to go camping.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We've camped before in the garden and they really loved it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58So we wanted to venture out somewhere a bit further.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02We try to get out a lot, we ride bikes and we are quite outdoorsy.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I've never really liked camping that much because of bugs.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I'm a bit of a...like...
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Bugs climbing in your ears and stuff when you're camping.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15The family eventually agreed on what seemed a perfect compromise -
0:05:15 > 0:05:18glamping, a more luxurious way of being close to nature,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21which in this case meant camping in a wooden pod
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and a front door to keep unwanted insects out.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Glamping, for us, was perfect.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29It meant that we had the best of both worlds.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30We could still have electric,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33we could lock the door and still be outside.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Nicky booked one night in a camping pod
0:05:35 > 0:05:39at the Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park in Northampton.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So we finally went ahead and booked it and then every day,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44the kids were saying, "Is it today we're going camping?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46"Is it today we're going camping?"
0:05:46 > 0:05:49And then when the day finally came, they were just really excited.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And as soon as they arrived, the fun began.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Fairground and bike rides,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57campfires, even toasting marshmallows.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And a great day ended with a much-needed night's sleep.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Or at least, that was the plan.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05We'd been in bed about ten minutes before Alfie then started
0:06:05 > 0:06:07complaining about being itchy
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and we just thought he was sweaty cos he'd been playing
0:06:10 > 0:06:12so much football with his friends and not had a shower.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So, we didn't really think much of it.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19But when an hour later Alfie still couldn't sleep,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Nicky's husband Keith swapped beds
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and soon he found that he was being kept awake as well.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Keith felt really itchy and he thought it was just in his head,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31like when people talk about nits and stuff, you just think, ugh,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33you feel like you've got nits as well.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36He said he could feel stuff crawling on him and we put our lights on
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and realised... That's when we saw them all,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and I just wanted to cry.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Awful. It became apparent that everyone's skin and bedclothes
0:06:44 > 0:06:46were crawling with bedbugs,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48so Nicky started filming, using her mobile phone,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51to record the extent of the infestation.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55I started to take photos of the bugs that we could see on the duvets.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57There were bugs crawling on the children's faces.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01And all on Evie's pillow, with her hair and it was horrible.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03It was horrible to see.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08In a panic, Nicky and Keith decided to get out of the room very quickly
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and put the kids in the car but some of the bugs went with them.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I could hear the kids screaming cos they could see something,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so then I went back into the car and the duvet that I'd given them
0:07:19 > 0:07:23had still had a bug on it. So I shook it off and by that point,
0:07:23 > 0:07:24when they were in the car,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I was just thinking, they're just everywhere.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I just can't get away from them.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31After calling the emergency number at the holiday park,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33the staff did come to investigate
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and after confirming that the pod did have a bedbug infestation,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40it provided the family with alternative accommodation.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I then just started crying and Keith just hugged me
0:07:44 > 0:07:46and just said, don't cry in front of the kids
0:07:46 > 0:07:49cos it'll worry them more. It's just awful to hear the kids crying.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And we just both felt really bad,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54felt really guilty that it was supposed to be fun for them
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and it just turned into a nightmare.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The next day, the family returned home, but Nicky says the car,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04bedding and clothes were still crawling with bugs,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06so she followed the advice,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09which is to wash garments and linen at a minimum of 60 degrees
0:08:09 > 0:08:11to kill them.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14One of the first things we did when we got home was just put
0:08:14 > 0:08:17everything in the wash, all our clothes. For boil washes,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19we left them out the front until there was space for them.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Even after we'd washed everything,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I still found a dead bug when I was folding up the clean washing.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28There was also one in the suitcase that we had all our food in.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30We fumigated the car.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33We sprayed all our luggage, all our suitcases.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35But even when we had washed stuff,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37I wasn't completely confident that it had all gone anyway.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41To be completely assured that they really were rid of the bugs,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Nicky decided to throw this lot away.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48We threw away about £500 worth of belongings, air beds, bedding,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50kids' cuddly toys...
0:08:51 > 0:08:53..some things even after we've washed,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I wasn't comfortable that they were clean.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Since returning home,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Nicky has used social media to make it known that she was not happy
0:09:01 > 0:09:04with her experience at Billing Aquadrome.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07And after doing so, she was contacted by another family
0:09:07 > 0:09:10who said the same thing had happened to them.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14So I've actually had a message from a lady that stayed
0:09:14 > 0:09:17in the same pod as us a few days before.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19"We stayed in that pod for three nights.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22"The next morning, we woke up covered in bites."
0:09:22 > 0:09:24I just feel really sad for her that they got so many bites.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29After complaining to the Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Nicky was refunded the £42 cost of the one-night stay.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But she doesn't feel that that makes up for the terrible experience.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I can't believe the cleaners had never noticed
0:09:39 > 0:09:42that there's bedbugs in there. It's left me feeling really angry.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I feel angry that they think they can keep
0:09:44 > 0:09:48their pods in that condition and think that's acceptable
0:09:48 > 0:09:51cos it's not. I'd never go back there.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55We asked pest control expert Peter Barrow Davies
0:09:55 > 0:09:58to have a look at Nicky's video footage to see what he made of it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01That's a pretty bad infestation.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Based on temperature and the availability of food,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07it's looking like that's probably been there for six to nine months.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09The insects that we are seeing are just the ones that
0:10:09 > 0:10:13are on the surface. Bedbugs are the world's experts in hide and seek.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16They've spent hundreds of years learning how to hide.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19So what we're seeing on the surface is just what is coming out
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and can't actually get into the places that they can hide
0:10:22 > 0:10:24because there's so many insects in there.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27This is something that we come across quite regularly.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29A simple inspection by a pest controller
0:10:29 > 0:10:32or even a housekeeper should really have spotted this early on.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Now, detection is one thing but the financial cost
0:10:35 > 0:10:39for a business to tackle an infestation can soon mount up.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43There is a huge cost of bedbugs to the hospitality industry.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47If you look at an average hotel with an average infestation,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50it will cost them between £5,000 and £10,000.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55That's made up from treatment, lost rooms, negative publicity.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It really is a huge cost to the hospitality industry.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02We spoke to the Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05It told us it sincerely regretted the inconvenience suffered
0:11:05 > 0:11:07by Nicky and her family.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It says it acted immediately to upgrade and refund her
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and to call in specialist help.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17It added that despite entertaining hundreds of thousands of guests
0:11:17 > 0:11:19that this had never happened before
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and that the experts had helped to do everything it can
0:11:22 > 0:11:25to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Alfie, do you remember this?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33You had bugs on your face.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- Did I?- Yeah.- On my face? Here?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37On your face. But Mummy and Daddy never told you that.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39But back at their home in Bedfordshire,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Nicky and her family will take some persuading to try camping again,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45even at the glamping end of the scale.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50It was like...
0:11:52 > 0:11:55..something out of a horror movie.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58The worst part of it for me was seeing the bugs on the kids' faces
0:11:58 > 0:12:01and feeling awful that we'd put them in this, it was
0:12:01 > 0:12:05supposed to be a holiday and then we just felt guilty that we'd...
0:12:06 > 0:12:08..put them in this pod full of bugs, really.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Later in the programme, we'll hear how holiday-makers may unwittingly
0:12:13 > 0:12:15be bringing bedbugs into the UK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17And as we'll see,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Peter and his team use sniffer dogs to hunt them down.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22We'll have everything you need to know
0:12:22 > 0:12:25about keeping those dreaded bugs at bay.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34This time last year, we looked into reports that seagulls
0:12:34 > 0:12:37were becoming really more aggressive and quite a menace
0:12:37 > 0:12:40in British seaside resorts and we had some really great tips
0:12:40 > 0:12:43on how you can avoid them swooping down to steal your food.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47But now there's another creature that, every summer, it's claimed,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50is becoming an increasing threat to anybody
0:12:50 > 0:12:54who likes to dip rather more than just their toes into the sea.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And if you believe the scare stories that there are swarms of them
0:12:57 > 0:13:01in the waters internationally, just waiting to pounce,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04are jellyfish really on the rise along our shores?
0:13:04 > 0:13:08And if so, what is the best way to avoid being stung?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Of all the mysterious creatures that live in the ocean,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17the jellyfish is perhaps one of the most misunderstood
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and also one of the most feared.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23There's been an invasion on our beaches.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Barrel jellyfish have been spotted in huge numbers.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30We've just spotted a large jellyfish off the side of the boat.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32It looks quite frightening.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36And as the temperature of the waters around the UK coast rise,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39so, it seems, does the number of the gelatinous creatures
0:13:39 > 0:13:41cropping up on our shores.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44More and more jellyfish are being spotted on the UK's coastline.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48So, how scared should we be?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Well, while tales of swarms of jellyfish are undoubtedly overhyped,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57not least because you'd actually call a collection of jellyfish a bloom,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00it does appear to be the case that jellyfish are being spotted
0:14:00 > 0:14:02more frequently around UK beaches.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And if one stings you, it can really hurt,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10as Michelle Anderson and her 11-year-old daughter Talisha,
0:14:10 > 0:14:11discovered the hard way.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14They'd been coming to this beach near Colwyn Bay in North Wales
0:14:14 > 0:14:16since Talisha was a baby.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Talisha loved the water. She'd go and play with her friends,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23brothers and sisters, in the water, splashing around.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26You know, she kind of got used to being in
0:14:26 > 0:14:28the shallower end of the waters
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and then she just sort of ventured further out.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But in August 2015, Talisha's love of the sea was completely destroyed.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I first noticed something was wrong when she just let out a huge scream.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44It was different than any other scream we'd heard.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It was pure agony, rather than,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48"I've just fell over and hurt myself."
0:14:48 > 0:14:51She was struggling to get out of the water.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53She looked like she couldn't move.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56We thought maybe she had her foot caught in a rock or something.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Michelle and her husband Tim rushed to see what had made their daughter
0:14:59 > 0:15:03cry out, and were shocked by what they found.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04When she stood up,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07there was just a huge jellyfish over the top of her legs.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11We had to drag her back into the water to try and make
0:15:11 > 0:15:15the jellyfish move a bit more easily, so we could untangle her.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19By this point, she was still screaming and it was probably
0:15:19 > 0:15:22even worse, the fact that we were trying to pull them off her.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27Talisha's own memories of that day are still terrifyingly vivid.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31I was really scared at the time cos I didn't know what it was,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33so I was like...
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I tried to run out of the water but it was kind of heavy
0:15:36 > 0:15:37and it was dragging me back.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I struggled to breathe because of the pain.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45It was clear this was more than just a mild sting.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47So Michelle quickly called an ambulance.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Her legs were very, very swollen,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51to two or three times the size they were.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55And it looked like she'd had boiling water poured over
0:15:55 > 0:15:58the tops of her legs. They were really red and very hot.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01It took us a long time to try and get her to calm down.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03She went into anaphylactic shock.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Talisha was suffering a severe reaction
0:16:06 > 0:16:08to the venom from the jellyfish.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11There was nothing... There was nothing else that we could do,
0:16:11 > 0:16:12apart from wait for the ambulance.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Paramedics arrived at the scene and Talisha was taken to hospital
0:16:16 > 0:16:19for further treatment, including a shot of adrenaline.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Later, after some research,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Tim discovered that the most likely culprit
0:16:25 > 0:16:27was the huge lion's mane jellyfish
0:16:27 > 0:16:32which can grow two metres wide and up to 100 metres long.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34When we told the doctor about it,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37he was quite shocked to how big we said it was
0:16:37 > 0:16:40cos he's not used to them being that big.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43He was the one that said it was OK, it wasn't poisonous,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45it was only venomous.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48They gave her morphine to kill the pain,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50they gave her, like, an ibuprofen gel
0:16:50 > 0:16:54to take down the swelling of her legs and to ease the pain.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The next day, Talisha was well enough to be sent home
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and though the scars on her legs eventually disappeared,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04the psychological impact lives on
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and Talisha is scared to go back into the water.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10When I'm on the beach and I see jellyfish,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13it worries me because I don't know what, like,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17if the tide's going to come in and wash them on to me or something.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Cos I don't know if they've still got tentacles on or something.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25But while some experts believe that, rather than there being more
0:17:25 > 0:17:28jellyfish, we've just got better at spotting and recording them,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32others, like conservationist and marine biologist Frankie Hobro,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35believe that, as well as their numbers DEFINITELY increasing,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38there is a clear explanation as to why.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41There are a couple of factors contributing to
0:17:41 > 0:17:43the larger numbers of jellyfish on our shores
0:17:43 > 0:17:44and one of those is climate change
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and warmer currents earlier on in the year
0:17:47 > 0:17:48for longer periods during the year
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and obviously those warmer currents are carrying jellyfish
0:17:51 > 0:17:54in larger numbers, they are managing to breed earlier and for longer,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57so you see them in much larger swarms locally
0:17:57 > 0:17:59and around the shores.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The good news, however, is that most jellyfish around British shores
0:18:02 > 0:18:06are unlikely to do any more than just sting.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10But the painful irritation that causes is still best avoided.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13So, if you do get stung, there's simple advice on what
0:18:13 > 0:18:16you should do next, which I'm delighted to say
0:18:16 > 0:18:21doesn't include a remedy perpetuated by the TV show, Friends.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Jellyfish sting. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Well, there's really only one thing you can do.- What? What is it?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30You're going to have to pee on it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Well, that apparent remedy has become so established that when,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38on a recent TV show,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42adventurer Bear Grylls was stung by a jellyfish,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46former Spice Girl Mel B did the honours in an attempt to help.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49This finger is now getting really quite painful.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Mel's kindly offered two or three times to provide some urine.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58But I'm afraid her valiant efforts won't have made any difference.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01There is a myth about urinating on a jellyfish sting.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04This doesn't work. It may actually make it worse,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06so it really isn't advisable. However, there are some things
0:19:06 > 0:19:09that you can do to relieve it instantly
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and in the longer term as well.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13If you haven't got anything at all to hand,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15the best thing is to use sea water
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and to try and rinse the tentacles off.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Very, very important that you do not get in contact with the tentacles
0:19:20 > 0:19:22at all, yourself, with your skin.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25So anything that you can to cover your skin
0:19:25 > 0:19:29to try not to get stung any further and to try and remove the tentacles.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But of course, the best advice
0:19:33 > 0:19:36is to avoid being stung in the first place.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40So, experts like Frankie say it is worth taking heed of any warnings
0:19:40 > 0:19:43that jellyfish have been spotted around a beach
0:19:43 > 0:19:45that you might be visiting.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's really important that people don't avoid going in the sea.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Instead, the simplest thing to make sure you don't get stung
0:19:52 > 0:19:53is to wear a rash vest or a wet suit
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and then if you do come in contact with the tentacles of any jellyfish,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59you wouldn't even notice because they wouldn't be able to sting you
0:19:59 > 0:20:01through those at all.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Back in Wales, that's exactly what Talisha will be doing once
0:20:05 > 0:20:09she's ready to return to the water but, painful as her ordeal was, she
0:20:09 > 0:20:13now has quite a positive attitude towards jellyfish themselves.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I don't think they are bad creatures because
0:20:17 > 0:20:19if we're going into their home,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22it's not like jellyfish would like it if they came into our home.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So it's kind of our fault if we get stung.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Still to come on Rip Off Britain,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37how man's best friend is on the front line
0:20:37 > 0:20:39in the battle against bedbugs.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42So, the dog has taken Adam forward into these seats here.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46You can see that the dog's working all over the front of the seats.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Earlier in the programme, we heard how one viewer was sharing
0:20:52 > 0:20:54her accommodation with bedbugs.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58It seems the tiny little pests really are back with a vengeance.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But help is at hand.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02There's a whole industry springing up to deal with
0:21:02 > 0:21:05the problem and front of the queue to tackle it
0:21:05 > 0:21:07are some big-name hotels and airlines.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11So meet the sniffer dogs, fighting to keep the bugs at bay.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16You might assume that this emergency response team has been sent
0:21:16 > 0:21:19to search this plane for explosives.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23In fact, they're looking for something else.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It's not bombs they're sniffing out...
0:21:30 > 0:21:31..it's bedbugs.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Good boy.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Charlie the chocolate Labrador is on the front line
0:21:37 > 0:21:38in the war on bedbugs.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42He is one of an army of sniffer dogs deployed across the UK
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to tackle the rising number of infestations.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And handler Peter Bowers-Davis says companies that use dogs like Charlie
0:21:50 > 0:21:52are much in demand.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55We've probably seen a 50% to 100% increase in enquiries
0:21:55 > 0:21:58through us for the use of our detection dogs
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and our eradication methods for bedbugs,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03which does indicate it is a rising problem in the UK.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And it's aeroplanes that have played a key part
0:22:07 > 0:22:10in the recent rapid spread of bedbugs.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14In many cases, they'll have hitched a ride on someone's bags
0:22:14 > 0:22:17or carry-on luggage and they can spread fast in close proximity
0:22:17 > 0:22:20to other travellers and their belongings.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24This plane is a disused one in Leicester,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27so it's the perfect place for dogs like Charlie to hone their skills,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31picking up the bugs' very faint but distinct scent.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34One of the reasons why we are doing this training exercise
0:22:34 > 0:22:38on an aircraft is because bedbugs will get anywhere
0:22:38 > 0:22:41where people are spending a number of hours,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45sleeping, resting, not just on the bed,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49but trains, aircraft, buses.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Inside these containers are hundreds of live bedbugs,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56which will be placed on board the old plane for the dogs to find.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So, what we're going to do is go up onto the aircraft,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01hide the three samples,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05give it a couple of minutes to vent and let the scent start to rise
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and then let the dogs go and search.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11On a plane, bedbugs will find a number of hiding places
0:23:11 > 0:23:14within the fabric of the aircraft.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Under the headrest and even within the magazine rack.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21This is a favourite place for the bedbugs,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24due to their attraction to CO2,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26which is what you breathe out,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28especially when you're asleep.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So, all the samples are now out
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and we're ready to let the dogs come on and find them.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44It's time to unleash Charlie to see if he can find the little bloodsuckers.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46He's been doing it for over seven years,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48so this should be a walk in the park.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53So, the dog has taken Adam forward into these seats here.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57You can see that the dog's working all over the front of the seats.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Charlie makes a beeline straight for the back row
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and seems to have sniffed something out.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07There he is. He's just located the sample and he's got his reward,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09which is his tennis ball.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Bedbugs may be small but thanks to his nose,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Charlie has no problem finding them.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Pest control companies like Peter's are routinely employed by airlines
0:24:22 > 0:24:25to check the planes currently in service.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28If they find bugs, the airlines use various kinds of
0:24:28 > 0:24:31heat treatment or chemical pesticides, while trying to keep
0:24:31 > 0:24:34their planes on the ground for as little time as possible.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39But Dr James Logan from the London School Of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine
0:24:39 > 0:24:43says it's usually down to us that the creatures got on board in the first place.
0:24:43 > 0:24:49So it seems we're all to blame for the booming bedbug population.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52One of the things about bedbugs is that they're incredibly good
0:24:52 > 0:24:55hitchhikers, so they're designed to be able to cling onto us,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58to our clothing, and hide there or in our luggage.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01They come out in the plane and, you know,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05planes are full of nice little crevices and cracks
0:25:05 > 0:25:08that they can hide in, so it's a perfect place for them
0:25:08 > 0:25:09to sort of have a bit of a stopover.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13So, time to get up close and personal with a bedbug.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Look away now if you're starting to itch.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- So, you're willing to do this?- Yes.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19- You're happy?- Yeah, I'm ready.- Yeah?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I've got some hungry bugs here.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They're male. Do you have a preference for which bug?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- We've got two here.- I don't mind.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- That one looks good.- So, if you can roll your sleeve up,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31what we'll do is we'll just pop this bedbug on.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The bugs are drawn to human blood
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and can consume three times their own body weight
0:25:36 > 0:25:38in a single feed.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Do you feel it when they bite you?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I know it's happening because I can see it,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45but I don't think I can feel anything.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- OK, so it's kind of like psychological...- Psychological.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Yeah. Cos the thing about bedbugs is that, when they bite you,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55they produce saliva and the saliva contains a sort of anaesthetic
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and an anticoagulant, so it stops the blood from clotting
0:25:57 > 0:26:00but it also means that you can't feel it,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03which is why when you get bitten by hundreds of bedbugs in your bed,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06you don't wake up and you don't know about it until the next day.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10But there are simple ways you can minimise the risk of taking
0:26:10 > 0:26:13any bedbugs home with you. In a hotel room,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16the best advice is never put your bag on the floor,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19from where they can easily climb into it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Keep it on the luggage racks and fully zipped up.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26And on a plane, one tip is to secure any carry-on luggage you might
0:26:26 > 0:26:28put under your seat inside a plastic bag.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Although, of course, with any luck, those sniffer dogs
0:26:32 > 0:26:36will have already made sure there aren't any bugs around.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37And back in Leicester,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41it's the success of ongoing training, like today's session,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43that could determine if your future holiday will be free
0:26:43 > 0:26:45from the menace of bedbugs.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48So, we finished the training session.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's gone very well. The dogs have been successful and Storm,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53the operational dog, has had a tremendous find,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55actually in the infrastructure of the aircraft.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00So all in all, I'm really happy. It's gone very well.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate
0:27:10 > 0:27:13then get in touch with us via our Facebook page...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17..our website...
0:27:19 > 0:27:21..or e-mail us at...
0:27:24 > 0:27:29..or if you want to send us a letter, then our new address is...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I don't know about you but I am literally itching all over
0:27:43 > 0:27:45after seeing those bedbugs.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47But I thought they were pretty much a thing of the past
0:27:47 > 0:27:50or at least more common only in hot climates like this.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53So I was really surprised and a bit worried to hear that
0:27:53 > 0:27:56they're on the increase closer to home. I don't like it, do you?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58No, that's really bad news, I think.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01But at least now you know what to do to keep away from them.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Just keep your luggage off the floor when you're away.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07And that should at least help to lessen the risk of you
0:28:07 > 0:28:09carrying any of them back home. I have to say,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12they are most definitely not the kind of souvenir
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- that I want to bring back.- No way.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Anyway, that's certainly a top tip but for me,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20today's standout fact was hearing that the old wives' tale
0:28:20 > 0:28:25on how to treat a jellyfish sting with pee isn't true.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28So there's no need to add embarrassment to agony in the future.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32And on that delightful note, it's time for us to leave you.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34We'll be back very soon with more of your stories but, until then,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- from all of us, goodbye. - Bye-bye.- Goodbye.