Homelessness campaigners have reacted with fury after a mum left with scabies from a "filthy" flat in Glasgow was told by council workers to put bin bags over her wounds.
Kate Davenport, 49, contracted the painful skin infestation after moving into the temporary property in the Pollokshaws area of Glasgow on October 2. Shortly after her diagnosis, the mum-of-two begged council staff to move her to a hotel or other temporary accommodation to allow her skin to heal - but she claims she was sent home and ordered to cover her body with black bags to prevent further infection instead.
She has since been left covered in sores, lesions and bumps as parasitic mites continue to burrow their way through her body and ravage her skin.
Campaigners slam ordeal as 'harrowing'
Her ordeal has been slammed as "harrowing and completely unacceptable" by leading charity Homeless Project Scotland.
Speaking to the Record, Kate said: "I'm in tears with this. I can't stop my mind from thinking that the mites are constantly multiplying all the time and leaving their eggs everywhere."
"It has left me severely distressed. The infection has got worse hour-by-hour and I have been clawing my skin off."
"I have begged the council to move me into other accommodation until I can heal, but I was sent home and told to cover my body in bin bags and sit on the floor instead."
"I'm not being treated like a human - l am being left in a situation that l cannot do anything myself to fix."
Scabies spreads in crowded environments
Scabies is a contagious skin infestation caused by a microscopic human itch mite that burrows into the top layer of the skin to live and lay eggs. On occasion, the mites can spread through freshly contaminated clothes, towels, or bed linen as they can survive away from the human body for a short time.
The condition can spread easily in crowded or close-quarters environments - including homeless shelters.
Kate said: "There is such a high turnover in this place, with homeless people coming and going, that there is no wonder I have contracted scabies. When I moved in, the flat was filthy."
"There are marks all over the skirting and walls and the bed itself was disgusting."
"I've been told there is no money to temporarily move me to allow me to heal. I feel like these bugs are eating me alive and it's affecting me mentally."
"I really have nowhere to turn."
Council and government respond
Kate became homeless earlier this year after she lost her job and her marriage broke down in France. Since returning to Scotland, she has been trying to seek employment.
She continued: "Because I've been ill and unable to get better, I've missed appointments with the Job Centre. All I want to do is put my life back into order but I can't while these bugs continue to infect me."
"It's so dehumanising and humiliating."
Colin McInnes, founder at Homeless Project Scotland, said: "This is a harrowing case and completely unacceptable."
"Kate is a human being and deserves to be treated like one. She has the right to live in habitable conditions and she should be moved from this accommodation immediately."
"I do not understand why the council would leave her there. To tell her to cover her wounds in bin bags is outrageous and my deepest sympathies go out to Kate."
Scottish Labour housing spokesperson Mark Griffin added: "It is clear that the standard of accommodation given to Ms Davenport is unacceptable."
"No-one should have to live in unsuitable, unsafe conditions, and the advice given does not appear to be in any way appropriate."
"This case should be looked at again to ensure that Ms Davenport’s living situation is properly addressed, and she receives the support she needs. Councils have faced years of cuts and underfunding from the SNP Government, people shouldn’t be facing these sorts of circumstances in 2026."
The Daily Record has repeatedly exposed squalid, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions inside council-funded accommodation for homeless people in Glasgow. In 2022, the Rennie Mackintosh Hotel on the city's Union Street was branded "inhabitable" after shocking images from inside a room showed blood-splattered walls, broken plug sockets and a discarded syringe.
The year before, a resident and charities exposed rooms at Copland Hotel in Govan infested with flies and insects, soiled beds, unwashed linens, poor food quality, and a lack of safety compliance at a cost of over £200 a week in public funds.
At Queens Park Hotel in Shawlands, the Record revealed filthy conditions, broken furniture, stained mattresses, and antisocial behaviour. At the time, Glasgow City Council inspectors ordered the owners to carry out urgent repairs within a six-week deadline.
Council bosses have since agreed to carry out an environmental spray at Kate's property after being approached by our journalist.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: "We are looking into this and as a precaution have arranged for an environmental spray at the property. We will continue to monitor the situation."
"Ms Davenport’s allocated worker is in regular contact to provide support and respond to any concerns."
With regards to being told to put bin bags over her wounds, the spokesperson added: "This is not normal practice, and we urge the service user to listen to the advice of medical experts."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Local authorities are obliged to offer advice and assistance to people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness, and temporary accommodation if it is needed."
"When people spend time in temporary accommodation, the Scottish Government expects this to be of a high quality, which meets the needs of the people that live there."
