THE proposed new look for the latest phase of the West Quay shopping development – The Watermark – appears stunning, as this paper revealed yesterday.

However, a closer examination of the artist’s impression of the open space planned to abut the city walls reveals at first glance a worrying episode. For among the strollers dodging the openplan fountains and running waters said to represent the sea that once came up to the old walls, there appears to be a body lying prone on the cobblestones.

Attending to the poor soul are two others. What can be going on? Is this someone in distress? A victim of a crime perhaps, or a reveller who has taken things a tad too far? All rather too close to reality for a planning application surely?

On closer examination, the gentleman lying prone appears to be sunning himself, while his friends take a breather, no doubt after a hard day’s shopping in the new emporiums planned for the development. Such a relief.

Should the development ever come to fruition – and I certainly have my fingers crossed – then I’m tempted to re-enact the scene to see how the authorities react. After that I shall strip to my smalls and dash semi-naked through the open fountains.

The court case should be interesting.