Suzy Lamplugh Trust Announce Safest & Most Dangerous Areas to Live in England & Wales
Suzy Lamplugh Trust has published the top 10 safest and most dangerous places to live in England & Wales and is calling on the local authorities concerned to look at why they are in the situation they are in and what they can do to improve it.
Most Violent Places
- North Manchester
- Sheffield 1
- Southampton
- City of Westminster
- Leicester City
- Middlesbrough
- Hackney
- Kingston Upon Hull
- Southwark
- Lewisham
Safest Places
- Dorset Eastern
- North Yorkshire (western)
- West Kent
- Norfolk Western
- Northumberland
- Bedfordshire County
- Powys
- Knowsley
- Nottinghamshire (Area D)
- Essex Central
Chief Executive of Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Steven Gauge, says:
“Violent crime can happen anywhere. All of us need to be aware of the risks and think about what we can do to stay safe. Police forces in the top ten high risk areas face a massive challenge in trying to bring down violent crime. The local authorities in the areas that are moving up the chart need to have a serious think about why that is happening and what they can do to reverse the decline. We can all help by thinking about our own personal safety a little more as we go about our daily lives.”
The Trust identified these areas by closely analysing the latest Home Office figures. The results will help them to identify those in England & Wales most at risk of suffering from violence, enabling them to target these people with the relevant personal safety advice.
Most Dangerous Places
In first place on the ‘most dangerous place to live’ list for the second year running is North Manchester – with 44 ‘violence against the person offences’ per 1,000 population in 2007/2008.
However there is also good news for North Manchester: Although they are top of this list, the actual number of offences has gone down from 6,736 to 5,891, which is a 13% decrease.
Six out the top ten places have risen in the rankings since 2006/2007. Sheffield has risen from 3rd to 2nd place, Southampton from 5th to 3rd. However the biggest risers were 4th placed City of Westminster (from 11th); Hackney, which rose from 13th to 7th; Southwark (18th to 9th) and Lewisham (20th to 10th).
“The four places which have jumped the most in these rankings are all in London and Boris Johnson and his team need to find out what has been going on in these areas over the last year.”
Those areas that have improve include Kingston Upon Hull, which has gone down from 4th to 8th, and Tower Hamlets, who were in 8th place in 2006/2007 but who have now left the top ten list.
Safest Places
According to the statistics, the safest place to live in the UK is East Dorset – where there was only 8 ‘violence against the person offences’ per 1,000 in 2007/2008.
The ‘safest place to live’ list saw some big changes since last year: Northumberland jumped from 29th safest place in the country to 5th. Whilst Powys leapt to 7th place from 37th, with 8th place going to Knowsley (Merseyside) – a rise of 16 places since last year.
Also to be congratulated are North Yorkshire Western (2nd Place); West Kent (3rd); Norfolk Western (4th); Bedfordshire County (6th); Nottinghamshire (Area D) (9th) and Essex (10th).
Gauge says:
“It is important that residents of the most at risk areas take extra care with their personal safety but it is equally important that they don’t let the fear of crime ruin their lives. By taking sensible personal safety precautions, they will not only make themselves safer but will gain the confidence of knowing that they are taking control.
“For residents of the low risk areas, it must be very reassuring to know however they must be careful though that they don’t become too complacent about their personal safety. The risks may be smaller but they are still there, so it is still worth staying alert and taking sensible precautions.”
Personal Safety Tips
The Trust offers the following advice for when you are out and about on the streets:
- Keep your mind on your surroundings – remember if you are wearing a personal stereo or chatting on your mobile, you will not hear trouble approaching – and the sooner you see or hear danger approaching, the easier it is to avoid it.
- Avoid danger spots like quiet or badly lit alleyways, subways or isolated car parks. Walk down the middle of the pavement if the street is deserted.
- If you do have to pass danger spots, think about what you would do if you felt threatened. The best idea is to head for a public place where you know there will be other people, for example a garage or shop.
- Walk facing on coming traffic to avoid curb crawlers.
- Always take the route you know best and think about the safe places on that route that you could head for if you felt threatened ie. pubs, hotels, garage, friends house.
- If you think you are being followed, trust your instincts and take action. As confidently as you can, cross the road turning and look to see who is behind you. If you are still being followed, keep moving. Make for a busy area and tell people what is happening.
- Consider carrying a personal safety alarm, which can be used to shock and disorientate an attacker, giving you vital seconds to get away.
For further safety information visit www.suzylamplugh.org
Press/Media enquiries: Call Jo Walker on 07747 611308.
Notes to the Editor
Click on link below to view detailed statistics:
Detailed statistics on top ten most violent places
Steven Gauge will be available for interviews over the Bank Holiday weekend and on Tuesday 26th.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a registered charity, is the leading charity for personal safety. The Trust works to raise awareness of the importance of personal safety in order to help people to avoid violence and aggression and live safer, more confident lives.
The Trust works alongside government, the police, the educational establishment, public bodies and the business sector to encourage safety wherever people may be at risk – in the home, at work, in public and in schools and colleges, on public transport and when travelling at home or abroad.
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