Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Youths ‘on laughing gas’ drive painter to sleep in tub
ONE of the country’s leading painters who lives in a prestigious Bath address says he has been forced to sleep in his bath tub because of young people “shrieking like wild animals” on laughing gas during the night.
Jonathan Myles-Lea, 51, a prominent landscape painter, who once branched out to paint an official portrait of the Queen, says he has been left unable to work after developing tremors in his hands from the constant “unsettling” noise.
He says large groups of young people have been congregating on the public lawn opposite the crescent, and some of them appear to be inhaling nitrous oxide before leaving piles of rubbish and gas canisters behind.
The constant noise has forced him to seek refuge in his bathroom where the noise is not so loud.
Mr Myles-Lea has shared videos which appear to show teenagers inhaling gas from balloons.
A separate anonymous source has also told of what he claims “amounted to a huge party on the lawns below the Royal Crescent”.
“There were hundreds of folk there, literally none social distancing. Most were drinking alcohol, a number were smoking dope, and quite a few were using canisters of nitrous oxide as there was a frequent sound of them being opened,” he alleged.
Mr Myles-Lea moved to the Royal Crescent in March this year thinking it was somewhere peaceful and quiet, with lots of light to paint by.
But he says his peace has been shattered in a most remarkable way, leaving him thinking he will have to cancel his lease as soon as he can.
He said: “For the past two weeks, since the lockdown has been relaxed, the public lawn in front of the crescent has become very popular with young people, who inhale nitrous oxide from balloons all day, usually continuing until around 2am.
“The young people inhaling the gas get high very quickly and then shriek and laugh like wild animals. This is not intermittent, but continuous. The amount of litter left on the lawn in the mornings is incredible, and a neighbour who spoke to the groundsmen was told that it takes more than four hours to clean up the mess.
“After several nights of this incredibly disturbing noise I decided that I had to sleep in my bath with a few pillows and duvets because it’s become impossible to sleep in my bedroom at the front of the property.
“I feel what’s going on is affecting my mental health. The constant shrieking is so bizarre and unsettling that I’ve developed tremors in my hands and I’m unable to work.”
Jonathan Myles-Lea is recognised as the leading painter of portraits of country houses and gardens in the United Kingdom after a career spanning 30 years.
A career highlight, and a departure from his landscape paintings came in 1997 when Myles-Lea was asked to paint a portrait of HM The Queen for The Drapers’ Hall. He met her at St James Palace after asking her to sit in her garter robes.
He says she told him: “You would choose the most complicated garment.”
But his career has been put on hold while he copes with this disruption.
Mr Myles-Lea said when he first saw the groups of teens he had never heard of people inhaling nitrous oxide.
“I was really naive – I thought they must be having a party as they had balloons. You wouldn’t know what they are doing. It’s just such a weird thing to see. I never dreamed I would see this in Bath.
“They look like normal middle class girls, but they must be only 12 or 13. They do not look like real reprobates, they look like your sons and daughters sat inhaling this gas.”
Mr Myles-Lea says the problem is not just the noise but the rubbish and canisters left behind after the groups of teens visit.
“They [canisters] are scattered all over the grass – literally hundreds, possibly thousands of them.”
He says groundsmen come and clear it at 5am each day.
Bath and North East Council acknowledged there has been a mass increase in rubbish left behind in Bath’s parks, but said antisocial behaviour was a police matter.
Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “Unfortunately, there has been an enormous increase in the amount of litter and waste left in our parks since the easing of lockdown restrictions.
“While we regularly empty all bins I would urge all users of our parks to take their litter home with them.
“The council does not have enforcement powers but antisocial behaviour or large gatherings inconsistent with the government’s guidelines should be reported to the police.”
Mr Myles-Lea says he had not yet made any reports to the police as nitrous oxide is a legal, albeit potentially dangerous, substance.
Avon and Somerset Police is yet to comment but encourages anybody who experiences antisocial behaviour in their neighbourhood to call 101 or report it online.