Town residents call for action and answers after scores of local people are bitten by bugs in Ballykelly

Residents have taken to social media – and the Ballykelly page – expressing their concern at being bitten by unknown bugs, leaving them with large itchy red spots and rashes.

The Ballykelly Facebook page shared a message from one of its followers complaining of extremely painful bites from bugs in their garden.

The local said: “Hi I’m wondering if you could post – I’ve been bit stupid by bugs in my garden, I spoke to a woman in the chemist about it she said it’s a matter for environmental health

"I’m getting bit, my daughter my partner my family it’s becoming unbearable we can’t even go outside our house, they are even coming into the house”

The post further urged people who have experienced similar issues with bug bites to reach out to their local council in order to investigate the issue.

And one Ballykelly mother who spoke to the News Letter said: “I work in Ballykelly and everyone who comes into my work has been bitten, it is mental.

"Then the bites get infected and it is very sore. You have to wear loose clothes over them."

The young mother( who did not want to be named, added: “As far as I am aware these bugs have been around for a long time, but this summer has been diabolical.

"I have been bitten multiple times. Initially I thought it was hives, but it was bites. Last Tuesday when I took my dog a walk I got 25 bites all over my legs and I had to ring Doctor on Call the next day because my legs started to swell.

"The bites ended up bigger than the size of a fist because they just swell and swell.

"I rang Doctor on Call to get help and they sent me straight up to lift antibiotics that night and I have been on them for the last week because the bites were infected”.

When asked what the treacherous bugs look like, the anxious mother said: “The bugs look like baby mosquitos and they bite through clothes.

"My partner was bitten on the hand and it swole to twice its size. He is bitten every single day as soon as he steps into my garden.

“This needs to be sorted because I cannot go outside my house without being bitten and other people are the same.”

Meanwhile contractor Dessie Loughrey whose company was doing maintenance work in the Ballykelly area said his men were also “badly bitten”.

"I had six men working at maintenance in the Ballykelly area late last week and every one of them was bitten badly, although some bites did not come up for a few days,” he said.

"I think only one of my men went to the doctor because he was bitten all over – his head, arms, legs – to get help with the pain of it. But the rest, well you know what builders are like...

“And the one who went to the doctor was asked if he there because of the ‘Ballykelly flies’?

"Another one of my men was badly bitten all over his head and neck too and I would love to know where these things come from and what brings them because it does affect life in Ballykelly.”

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council have now confirmed to the News Letter they are carrying out an investigation following reports of biting insects in the Ballykelly area.

Sinn Féin councillor Dermot Nicholl told the BBC that he had been in touch with environmental health officers in the council, who had been contacted by Ballykelly residents.

"The officers believe that it's not mosquitoes as they go into hibernation around now and only bite when laying eggs," he said.

"The officers initially think it may be bird fleas or midges but are currently waiting on test results to actually confirm what is the source."