UK cities that rate from safe to terrifying…

Cardiff is deemed one of the least safe cities in the UK – due to an increase in knife crime, murders, vandalism, and car theft, according to those living there.

A poll of adults across 15 major UK cities rated the safest places to live with Cardiff lowest in the list, followed by London and Birmingham. In comparison, Sheffield, Southampton, and Edinburgh came out as the top three safest cities to live in, with less than one in 10 adults in the Scottish capital experiencing any sort of crime.

A staggering 38 per cent of adults living in Cardiff don’t feel safe at all on the streets at night, while another 31 per cent worry even about their safety during the daytime. Nearly four in 10 living (38 per cent) in Birmingham have installed CCTV and alarms at home to curb their fears about safety.

While 41 per cent of people living in London would feel much safer with a police station in their neighbourhood and just over a quarter in the capital would even consider legally owning a gun or knife for self-protection.

At the other end of the scale, Edinburgh came out as the top place to live with less than one in 10 adults in the Scottish capital experiencing any sort of crime. While half of those in Southampton would recommend living the city to friends, due to feeling so secure there. The research has been commissioned to mark the latest series of crime drama Murdertown on Crime+Investigation.

“Despite being popular living spots, it’s surprising to see some of the most common cities deemed unsafe – particularly the likes of Cardiff, London and Birmingham. There are clear concerns of activity from the British public that they could be a victim or witness a crime when walking around at night or even in during the daytime. The new TV series will aim to uncover the most shocking murders in the UK and examine the impact they had on the cities around them.” – A spokesman for Crime+Investigation

Norwich and Leicester complete the top five safest cities, while Bristol and Leeds come further the chart, ranking 11th and 12th. Researchers found Londoners are most likely to have experienced crime in the capital (33 per cent) – an increase of 14 per cent since 2018. The most common wrongdoings include unprovoked acts of violence (53 per cent), fraud (45 per cent) and muggings (43 per cent).

And over a quarter of adults (26 per cent) in Cardiff have witnessed a crime – up from 16 per cent three years ago. Almost a third (29 per cent) admitted they were a victim of crime themselves, compared to just 16 per cent of adults living in the Welsh city in 2018. Of these illegal acts, home break ins were most common (42 per cent), followed by fraud (39 per cent) and car theft (36 per cent) – indicating crime activity has increased since 2018 and during the pandemic.

But the stats, commissioned via OnePoll, found overall 60 per cent of adults would remain in the area they live in as they feel safe when in their own home. And to make their property safer to live in, 18 per cent have installed smart lights that turn on when they’re outdoors, and 17 per cent have added in extra locks around the house.

Other measures added to make their home secure include security cameras, growing big hedges around the property and buying a guard dog. Outside of the home, one in five respondents feels safe most of the time – but six in 10 won’t go out after dark unless they have to.

And one fifth would feel safer in their city if they didn’t know of so many attacks or break-ins nearby, while 16 per cent can’t help but pay attention to local gossip. For a resounding four in 10 adults, a bigger police presence would make them feel more protected, while a third want more CCTV and one quarter would like a local police station.

When it comes to law enforcement, more than half of British adults do not feel the police are able to keep their area safe. And 48 per cent feel women in particular are being let down by the police following the Sarah Everard case.

“The UK police force play a vital role in keeping our cities safe and ensure people feel comfortable to go about their normal lives without causing any issues. Of course, that’s easier said than done when staffing levels can be an issue, and some cities have such high crime rates to contend with.” – The spokesman for Murdertown

Murdertown’s new 10-part series premieres on Crime+Investigation tonight, 27th September, at 9pm.

TOP 15 SAFEST CITIES TO LIVE IN THE UK

1. Edinburgh

2. Southampton

3. Sheffield

4. Norwich

5. Leicester

6. Manchester

7. Newcastle

8. Cambridge

9. Liverpool

10. Glasgow

11. Bristol

12. Leeds

13. Birmingham

14. London

15. Cardiff