I STILL LIVE IN FEAR OF MY STALKER

Former ITV newsreader and podcast host Isla Traquair, 43, explains how life was torn apart by her neighbour

- HELEN RENSHAW

When I bought my dream home in the Cotswolds in autumn 2020, I planned to write and work in a peaceful environment. But peace was the last thing I experienced in that house.

The nightmare started before I even had the house keys. I asked the departing owner’s permission to park outside so I could take my disabled mum for a walk. We returned to find a van had blocked my car and then a man appeared, aggressively accusing me of trespassing and letting my dog foul on his property. I was stunned – it was complete rubbish.

UNWANTED PRESENCE

The man was Jonathan Barrett, and he was my neighbour. The next time I saw him he was full of apologies and friendly, which appeased me. I was there every day renovating the property before moving in, and his unhealthy interest became more and more worrying. He was constantly around, offering unsolicited advice. Every time I went into the garden, he was there. Watching me.