It was a not-so glamourous end to Paris Fashion Week, as a “widespread” outbreak of bed bugs caused panic and disgust in the French capital. Paris authorities sent out a public warning that “no-one is safe”, with the small insects making their way through the city. In recent weeks and months, there have been numerous sightings on public transport and other locations. “No one is safe. You can catch them anywhere and bring them home, and not detect them in time until they have multiplied and spread,” deputy mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, told French TV. Videos posted on social media show insects crawling over seats on the Paris Metro as well as appearing in huge numbers on cinema seats. Some users have also shared their experiences of being bitten by the critters. So, how can you help protect yourself against a bedbug infestation? Here’s everything you need to know. How do you know if you have bed bugs? To find out if you have bed bugs, it’s best to keep an eye out for two things: 1. Bites on your body – these look like little red marks that cause itchy welts. “These welts usually appear in a zigzag pattern,” the American Academy of Dermatology Association says. 2. You should always keep an eye out for signs of bedbugs, this includes odour, specks of blood on bedding, exoskeletons, tiny blackish specks and eggs. • Odour: If you notice a sweet or musty smell in your sleeping area, there might be a heavy infestation in the room, the AADA says. • Specks of blood: Look at your bedding, mattress and furniture – if you notice specks of blood anywhere, the insects might have made their way into your home. • Exoskeletons: The small insects have an outer shell that they shed and leave behind. Check for remains on your bedding, mattress and cushions. • Tiny blackish specks: The blackish specks are a sign of beg bug excrement. • Eggs: “After mating, female bed bugs lay white, oval eggs in cracks and crevices,” the AADA says on its website. These will be in the size of an apple seed, so keep your eyes peeled. How do I treat bedbug bites? The NHS says bedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so but there are a few steps you can take to help you during your recovery process: • Put something cool, like a clean, damp cloth on the affected area to help with the itching and to ease off any swelling. • Be sure to keep the affected area clean to prevent any further infection. • Try your best not to scratch the affected area. You can also get steroid creams like hydrocortisone cream to ease bedbug bites. However, children under 10 and women who are pregnant should get advice from a doctor before using this cream. Another option would be to use antihistamines, these may help if the bites are very itchy and you’re unable to sleep, the NHS says. How to get rid of bed bugs – the do’s and don’ts It can be hard to get rid of the small insects on your own, so you might need to contact your local council or pest control service to get rid of the pesky creatures. Here are some steps you can take to reduce bed bugs: • Remove the affected bedding and clothing – wash on a hot wash of 60c and tumble try on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes. • You can also put the infested bedding and clothing in a plastic bag and place It in your freezer for 3 to 4 days. • It’s time to up your cleaning game – “bedbugs are found in both clean and dirty places, but regular cleaning will help you spot them early,” the NHS adds. Here’s what you should avoid doing: • Do not keep clutter around your bed, try to keep your space as clean as possible. • Do not bring second-hand furniture indoors unless you have cleaned and carefully checked it. • Do not take luggage or clothing indoors without checking it properly – especially if you have come from somewhere where you know there are bedbugs. What are the causes of bedbugs and where do they live? The wingless parasitic insects are found all around the world and may be linked to, more frequent travel, changes in pest control practices and insecticide resistance. Bedbugs can be found in: • Clothing • Luggage • Bedding • Boxes • Box springs • Mattresses • Headboards • Objects near beds According to the Mayo Clinic, they can also be found: • Under peeling pain or loose wallpaper • Under carpeting near baseboards • In upholstered furniture seams • Under light switch plates or electrical outlets Can bed bugs reach the UK? The short answer is yes… Bed bugs have a lifespan of between four to six months and are known to cling onto dirty suitcases – so it is possible that they may hitch a ride on the Eurostar which is just two hours away from London. The Independent’s Barney Davis asked David Cain, founder and MD of Bed Bugs LTD and a qualified microbiologist, whether the bugs could survive the journey. “Easily, yes, without a shadow of a doubt,” he responded. Read the latest on the bed bug infestation in Paris here. Read More Is London prepared for the mutant bedbug invasion that has swarmed Paris? That will bug you: Thousands of mosquitoes take over walls of bathroom Hotel worker shares tips on how to hunt out bed bugs How can I tell if my child has ADHD? Man inundated with criticism after judging mum on her phone Brits think investing is for the super-rich, poll finds

Daniel Ricciardo will miss his fifth grand prix in a row this weekend in Qatar with Liam Lawson again filling in for AlphaTauri. Ricciardo, who only returned to the F1 grid in July after replacing the axed Nyck de Vries, broke a bone in his hand during second practice at the Dutch Grand Prix in August. Red Bull junior driver Lawson has since stepped in and impressed, recording the team’s best score of the season with a ninth-place finish in Singapore. Nonetheless, in the meantime, both Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have been confirmed as AlphaTauri drivers for 2024. Yet this weekend’s sprint weekend in Qatar will once again come soon for 34-year-old Ricciardo, who will now target a return at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 20-22. Ricciardo has only competed in two races for AlphaTauri – in Hungary and Belgium prior to the summer break – while Lawson has featured in four. New Zealand driver Lawson, despite his eye-catching performances, has not found a seat for 2024 – though has been linked with the only unconfirmed spot on the grid at Williams amid Logan Sargeant’s struggles. Ricciardo, meanwhile, will race with Red Bull’s sister team next year in the hope it puts him in a position to take Sergio Perez’s seat for 2025. Perez’s team-mate Max Verstappen can secure his third straight world title during the sprint race this Saturday in Qatar. The Dutchman only needs to finish sixth or higher in the 100km dash around the Lusail International Circuit. Read More Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive Christian Horner admits ‘keeping an eye’ on Lando Norris amid Red Bull link Mercedes chief details ‘very ambitious targets’ for 2024 car

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Jamie Oliver has claimed he would choose a life of anonymity over fame, if he was given the chance to go back and do things again. The TV chef was interviewed by broadcaster Kirsty Young for her debut podcast, Young Again, which is available on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. In each episode, Young revisits pivotal moments in the lives of her guests, and asks them what they wish they’d known at the time – along with what they would change if given the opportunity. In the third episode of the podcast, which is out now, Young spoke with Oliver about his rapid ascent to fame aged just 23, following the release of his BBC cooking show The Naked Chef. Oliver, now 45, also discussed what he learnt from a young age working in his parents’ pub, his relationship with wife Jools, and the challenge of balancing his activism and campaigning work with running a business empire. “If you could go back, would you not do it?” Young asks him during the episode. “Definitely,” Oliver responds. “I’m not trying to say ‘shoulda woulda coulda’ but if I came back on Earth and did again, I would go to (set up the) pub, and I would have a normal life and I would be aware that anonymity is our greatest gift that we will never give any currency to. “And to have just enough and to trot on, and to be the best you can at your thing, and be part of a community, and to have a mutuality… That is very very very precious.” Oliver and his wife met when they were 17, and have been together ever since. They have children together. The TV chef’s remarks come not long after his business enjoyed a major boost thanks in part to his work producing shows such as Jamie’s £1 Wonders. The programme achieved an average of 1.4 million viewers as it helped households deal with the cost-of-living crisis by creating cheap and nutritious meals. His empire, which includes TV shows, recipe books, branded products and several lucrative partnerships, along with his numerous franchised restaurants around the world, made a pre-tax profit of £7.7m in 2022, a 17.5 per cent increase on the past year. Sales for the Jamie Oliver Cookery School, which offers cooking classes in London and online, also grew by more than a third last year. Amid a return to the hospitality industry after lockdowns during the pandemic, he also announced the launch of a new restaurant in London’s Catherine Street, scheduled to open in November. Last month, Oliver called for more free school meals help from the government, urging them to “put children’s health first” and widen the eligibility. Under current rules, only children from households with an income below £7,400 – after tax and benefits – are eligible. Following a major campaign by The Independent,London mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to roll out free primary school meals to all pupils in the capital in a year-long pilot. The first three episodes of Young Again, the new podcast from Kirsty Young, are available now on BBC Sounds. Future episodes will be broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 4 at 11am from 3 October. Read More Jamie Oliver’s businesses notch up higher profits after £1 Wonders TV success Jamie Oliver calls for vulnerable children to be given free school meals Tom Kerridge: Free school meals should be part and parcel of education Is there such a thing as British pizza? Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook How to cook to keep your gut healthy

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Mercedes are striving for some “very ambitious targets” in the developmental phase of their 2024 car, revealed team chief Andrew Shovlin. The Silver Arrows, eight-time constructors’ champions between 2014-2021, have endured a difficult two years languishing behind runaway leaders Red Bull. The team originally persevered with a unique “no-sidepod” design before ditching it in May this year, reverting to a more orthodox approach. However, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have still been some way off the stellar pace set by Max Verstappen out in front – and Mercedes trackside engineering director Shovlin now already has an eye set on 2024. “We are changing the car quite considerably for next year,” he said, at the Japanese Grand Prix. “Whether or not we can solve all the issues that we’ve got on the handling, that will depend on a number of projects delivering. “Those projects are underway. They are not complete, but we have got some good directions to try and improve that.” Shovlin added that Mercedes, unlike this year’s inconsistent W14 car, would not be “clinging onto any concepts that we’ve had before” following a “chastening couple of years.” He details: "The car will be different. We have made a lot of changes to it but it’s very early in the development of the new car to be able to say we’ve got it sorted. "When we launched our best cars, 2015 or 2019, those years, we didn’t know they were going to be great cars when we developed them, you are just working as hard as you can trying to find as much performance as you can. "On a lot of those cars, we missed targets by quite a chunk in terms of performance but what we do know is that if you don’t set very ambitious targets, you’re probably not setting them high enough." Mercedes have won just once since the 2021 season – when George Russell took his maiden F1 win in Brazil last November – and are currently in a battle with Ferrari to finish second in the constructors’ championship after Red Bull secured their crown at Suzuka. In the drivers’ standings, Hamilton is looking to haul in second-placed Sergio Perez, with Verstappen set to secure his third straight title in Qatar this weekend. Both Hamilton and Russell signed new contracts until the end of the 2025 season last month. Read More F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Andretti F1 team entry bid accepted by FIA Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive Andretti F1 team entry bid accepted by FIA Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive Daniel Ricciardo fitness update ahead of Qatar Grand Prix

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