THE Wellington Street Pastors group has said that young people inhaling too much nitrous oxide – better known as laughing gas – is no laughing matter.

Mike Czerniak, of the church-based street pastors who walk the town every second Friday night to make sure people are safe, gave a short presentation at the annual parish meeting of Wellington Town Council on May 29.

He said that they had come across plenty of the small silver canisters containing nitrous oxide and warned that excessive use of the gas could be extremely dangerous.

“If somebody has too much of it they could stop their heart and mess up their lives,” said Mr Czerniak.

Nitrous oxide is an anaesthetic gas with pain-relieving and anti-anxiety properties. While it has been used in medicine for more than 200 years, there has been an increase in recreational use.

It has become widely and easily accessible for recreational use as it can be legally bought and sold for the purpose of making whipped cream.

But health officials have warned that the gas can cause serious long-term effects such as vitamin B12 deficiency and anaemia.

Laughing gas has become one of the most widely used drugs among 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK and can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calmness as well as fits of giggles and laughter. But experts have raised concerns that prolonged use can cause serious health issues including permanent neurological damage.

Mr Czerniak thanked the council for its funding and said he hoped it would not be too long before the street pastors could be out and about more frequently.

“If we could get two or three more street pastors trained up we could get back out once a week – which is what we used to do before the Covid-19 pandemic,” he explained.

Mr Czerniak said they would like to recruit more women to the organisation and added that the street pastors had become a welcome sight in the town centre.

He said initially there was a sense of “hostility” towards the street pastors from people, but they have built-up a good relationship with the night-time community over the 14-year history of the Wellington Street Pastors.

Former Mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said: “The street pastors do fantastic work in Wellington and the young people trust them. It’s an invaluable service.”

The Street Pastors are an inter-denominational church response to urban problems - engaging with people on the streets during the night-time economy.

The initiative is designed to provide a reassuring presence in local communities. The street pastors look to listen to and talk with people in their local community, to provide information on local agencies, help and services, and to discourage anti-social behaviour.

Practical help provided by Street Pastors include handing out flip-flops to women unable to walk home in their high-heeled footwear, giving out water, chocolate for energy, personal alarms and ensuring the safety of vulnerable persons.

Street Pastors also remove bottles and other potential weapons from the streets in order to discourage violence and vandalism.