Toxic caterpillars invade east London apartment block

Toxic caterpillars have invaded an east London apartment block, infesting balconies and businesses and sparking health concerns among residents.

The hairs from the European gypsy moth species contain histamine and can cause skin rashes, irritation or allergic reactions. So far there have been no reports of anyone at the block being affected.

Peabody homes, which runs the Atkins Square development in Pembury Circus, Hackney, where flats sell for £500,000, today claimed a “small number” of people had complained and it was investigating.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “They are everywhere and have been since the start of June. They multiply very quickly.

“People are worried about their health because there are quite a few medical conditions that can be made worse by them. They’ve also got into the yoga studio on the ground floor. You don’t want one of them crawling across your matt.”

Therese Gistatsson, who lives in an apartment with her partner and young son, said: “There are thousands of them and they are not just outside the front of the flats but have got into our courtyards.

“Our son is wanting to play and the floor is covered in moving furry creatures. We’ve also been hanging out our washing to find it covered in caterpillars.”

The remains of hundreds of the insects were seen by the Evening Standard outside the block and they have also stripped several bushes in the communal square outside the development.

Danielle Daley, 22, manager of The Vincent, a bar and restaurant in the same square, said: “One day last week there were hundreds of them that came from nowhere.

“You come outside some mornings and you cannot see the floor because of the number of dead bodies. You can’t avoid stepping on them. They’re everywhere.”

Hackney council said it had not been alerted to the infestation but would monitor the situation in case the caterpillars spread to other parts of the borough.

A Peabody spokesman said: “All of the professional advice is that [the caterpillars] pose an extremely low risk.

“Our estate teams and landscape experts are on hand to offer advice while they investigate the issue and decide on the appropriate course of action.

"We want to avoid using chemicals to control the insects because that would be detrimental to other wildlife and pollinators in the area.”