New tests reveal just how disgusting seats on the London Underground are

Last month a starry-eyed American captured our grey nation's collective hearts with a love letter to the humble London Underground.

Business Insider writer Dennis Green called the capital city a "transportation paradise" compared to his home New York.

He marvelled at the contactless card system: "Getting through the turnstile is quick as a flash."

Wondered at the PA announcements: "There is good service on all London Underground lines." You definitely don't hear that every day in New York."

And found the seating to be particularly comfy too:

Another cool thing about the Underground: All the seats are cloth-covered, and they're much more comfortable than a plastic bench. There are also cloth-covered rails to lean against, which is a smart idea.

Well... we've got some bad news in that regard Dennis.

Yes the trains are frequent, and yes some are even air conditioned... But apparently they're also disgusting germ hives as well.

New research undertaken by carpet cleaning experts BISSELL discovered the bacteria E.Coli, which is found in human and animal faeces, on the padded fabric seats on the Bakerloo line.

Metroreported this week that after taking swabs of the cloth covered seats, the researchers unearthed all manner of bacteria and grime - most likely thanks to commutes not washing their hands and touching the surfaces.

Additional samples taken from the hand rails, doors and other surfaces revealed more bacteria including Enterobacteriaceae - a large family of bacteria that's fairly harmless, but does include Salmonella and Shigella in its ranks.

Nigel Holness, London Underground’s Director of Network Operations, told Metro.co.uk:

We are committed to providing the best possible service on London’s transport network.

Each Tube line has a rigorous cleaning schedule in place, for both the interior and exterior of the trains, to provide a pleasant environment for our customers.

Just remember to wash your hands when you get into work...

HT Metro

More: An American writer took the Tube for the first time and fell in love