Jane Calder, pictured, suffered what she believes is a severe allergic reaction to the substances used, and says she had to be rushed to hospital as a result.

The 44-year-old now feels she cannot move back into the Sandyknowes Road bedsit as her health will deteriorate again - and says she has even had to resort to sleeping in her car for a few nights.

"It has been pretty soul-destroying to be honest," she told the News & Chronicle. "I've had a hard time of it and at times I've just wanted to curl up into a little ball."

NLC's Environmental Health department - which carried out the spraying - say their chemicals are rigorously tested - and that Jane's period of illness could have been as a result of combining their treatment with an anti-flea substance she used in the property before they arrived.

Jane, who has held a tenancy for the property for around a year, agrees that this combination could be to blame, but says that the last few weeks have been an ordeal to say the least.

The problem started when her cat got fleas, she explains, and the insects then decided to take up residence in her home as unwanted guests - who were demanding squatters' rights.

"They were absolutely everywhere, she says. "I could see them on everything. They were even in the hoover and they also somehow managed to get into my car. If there is even the tiniest gap, they will find their way in."

After treating the bedsit using an anti-flea product bought off the shelf from a local supermarket, the self-employed IT consultant then contacted NLC's Environmental Health to treat the problem as per guidelines set out by Cumbernauld Housing Partnership from whom she leases the property.

"Environmental Health came round and sprayed my home on Friday, August 1. That day I started to feel a bit strange. I felt worse the next day, and thought 'there's something not quite right here' and then felt worse again the following day when I realised that something had to be done. I knew something was definitely amiss."

She had developed various worrying symptoms, including numbness below her left knee, meaning she had problems walking, a numb neck making it difficult to lift her head and she was short of breath.

"I also had tunnel vision on my right eye and was having blinding headaches - it was terrible. I contacted the NHS who told me to take a paracetamol, but I was then rushed into hospital where I spent three days.

"When I was away from my home environment I'd started to feel better, but when I went home I felt worse again, and when I had friends round they would feel ill as soon as they came in."

Not only has her health suffered, Jane says, but she has been hit hard financially. "I have had to take the cat to the vet several times which is not cheap, and have had to boil wash my clothes which has ruined some of them.

"I have also had to get rid of antique bed linen and remove my own furniture from the property, and I filled half a skip. I've also had to buy protective clothing with breathing masks.

"I am about £1000 out of pocket in expenses, and as I work from home I have lost a lot of business."

She estimates that she has lost 400 hours of work - totalling around £7000 in capital terms - and feels that professionally she may never recover.

This case also follows on from a story in the News & Chronicle two weeks ago, covering widowed mum-of-two Anne Burns and her flea-infested property, also in Carbrain. "I feel her pain," says Jane, who even jokes that she should have got a van instead a car so it would be better to sleep in.

But relatives have helped out too: "I have had to stay with my brother-in-law in Coatbridge, which is not ideal, but otherwise I would have been out on the streets, and I am not entitled to homeless accommodation as I have a tenancy."

She is now considering selling some assets, and taking on another tenancy - but not giving up the Sandyknowes property until it is out of "quarantine" so that nobody else goes through what she has.

"I want to do the right thing," she states. "I could just use it as storage.

Jane even believes that she would get better treatment if she was a part of the travelling community.

"The difficulty was getting anyone to listen to me. I am not prone to lying. Throughout my working life I have paid £125,000 in taxes but there is no support when you need it."

She is now awaiting results for tests of her home's environment, and blood test results too.

A spokesperson from Cumbernauld Housing Partnership said: "We were made aware of the problems which have affected Ms Calder when she called at our offices after the fumigation had taken place.

"She had instructed North Lanarkshire Council to carry out the fumigation herself which was the proper course of action.

"We advised her to contact the NLC Environmental Services again, as the proper statutory authority, to seek further advice on clearing the infestation from the flat and to allow them to check for residue from the first fumigation.

"We also advised her to visit her vet for a check on her cat's flea infestation.

"Our housing officer also contacted NLC Environmental Services who confirmed that the spray used would not prevent Ms Calder returning to her flat.

"We have not had contact with Ms Calder since we discussed her case with her when she called at our offices."

Alastair Lee, senior environmental health officer for North Lanarkshire Council, said: "Ms Calder reported a problem with insects in her house on July 31 2008.

"And the following day (August 1) the pest control contractor contacted Ms Calder and made an appointment to treat her property.

"On August 4 the property was sprayed with an insecticide solution approved by the Health & Safety Executive for use in indoor premises, including domestic properties. This solution was made up and applied in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions.

"On August 15 Ms Calder's councillor contacted the Pest Control service and advised that Ms Calder had been admitted to hospital - Ms Calder believed that the reason for her admission was due to an adverse reaction from the insecticide.

"As a result of this allegation Environmental Health Officers have made arrangements for an air sample to be taken from Ms Calder's house.

"We would like to reiterate that the insecticide used was approved for use in domestic premises and was applied in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions.

"Ms Calder has since told us that she had been treating the infestation herself before the treatment was undertaken by our contractors and so we will analyse this material to determine if this had any links to her
recent ill health."