It is home to the Houses of Parliament and where some of the UK’s prime shopping and entertainment is situated – and also where house prices are the highest.
But the city of Westminster, which includes shopping areas around Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Bond Street and where Soho and other parts of London’s West End are situated, has the dubious honour of being the most unsafe area to live.
According to property expert housebuyers4u there are 7.36 residential burglaries per 1,000 people, 7.50 sexual offences per 1,000 people and 587.61 annual road accidents per 100,000 in Westminster.
This is despite the average house price being £1.7 million according to RightMove when the avearge UK home sells for around £292,000.
Second on the unsafe list is Kingston upon Hull while Blackpool rounds off the top three.
Paul Gibbens, property expert at housebuyers4u, said there seemed to be a north/south divide, with more of the top ten in the north.
He said: “There seems to be more unsafe areas in the North, particularly in Yorkshire. This highlights the importance of considering factors other than price and property features when choosing a location to buy a house.
“For first-time buyers and families, safety should be a top priority; it is essential to be aware of things like local crime rates and access to healthcare services before committing to an area to buy a property.
“For those living in the top-ranking areas, there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your home. Investing in home security systems, being vigilant about personal safety, and participating in community watch programs can all help to reduce risks.”
housebuyers4u analysed seven factors related to safety, including crime rate, the number of annual road accidents, and the number of available GP practices in each unitary authority area in England with a population of at least 100,000 people. They created an index of these factors to identify which areas are the most unsafe to live in.
North East Lincolnshire comes fourth, with a crime rate of 120.52 per 1,000 residents. Each year, there are 213.62 road accidents per 100,000, which is 24% higher than the average in England. Calderdale, West Yorkshire came in fifth with 5.30 people killed in road accidents per 100,000, the fourth highest rate in England. Additionally, there are just 10.11 available GP practices per 100,000, which is the eighth lowest overall.
Doncaster in South Yorkshire takes sixth place, with an overall crime rate of 131.45 per 1,000, the eighth highest nationally. Doncaster’s number of GP practices is also 72% lower than England’s average, at 11.90 per 100,000 people. Birmingham, West Midlands is seventh. There are 189.96 road accidents per 100,000 people in Birmingham, 9% higher than England’s average. The area also has a high rate of residential burglaries, at 5.12 per 1,000 people.
The safest area to live is Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, with a safety index score of 73.16 out of 100, followed by Windsor and Maidenhead, with safety index scores of 69.96/100 and 67.47/100, respectively.
Mr Gibbens added: “Ultimately, safety is a critical factor that should never be overlooked when purchasing a home. This research aims to empower buyers with the knowledge of which areas are the safest and most unsafe for themselves and their families.”
The top ten most unsafe unitary authority areas to live in England with safety score
1. Westminster – 33.93/100
2. Kingston upon Hull – 36.84/100
3. Blackpool – 37.82/100
4. North East Lincolnshire – 40.53/100
5. Calderdale – 41/100
6. Doncaster – 41.76/100
7. Birmingham – 42.10/100
8. Manchester – 42.12/100
9. Bradford – 42.3/100
10. Barnsley – 42.41/100