Roughest Places in England
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Top 10 Roughest Places in England That Will Surprise You!

5 Mins read

When we refer to the roughest places, it indirectly means the dangerous areas considered to have high rates of crime, employment issues, dangerous involvements, and social and economic challenges.

It cannot be denied that no matter where we choose to live, there will always be criminal challenges and antisocial behaviour.

The key trends for crime are shoplifting theft from people, and robbery with weapons like knives and guns. This article will cover a few rough places in England and their impact on the incredibly diverse landscape.

List of Top 10 Roughest Places in England 

1. Westminster

Westminster has a crime rate of almost 440 crimes per 1000 people and is considered to be the roughest place. It is the place where the Houses of Parliament are located, but there is still a huge wave of criminal activity. 

The major problem in this place is theft incidents which amount to around 69% of the crimes in the city. There are also alarming incidents of violent crimes, vehicle offences, and some public order offences in the city.

2. Manchester

The second roughest place would be considered Manchester, which seeks to emulate London’s metropolitan perspective, with a rate of almost 176.2 crimes per 1000 people.

Known as the “Capital of the North”, this city has major criminal activities such as violent crimes and thefts. 

However, other prevalent criminal activities are increasing at an alarming rate such as criminal damage and public order offenses.

3. Middlesbrough  

Middlesbrough is known as one of the most industrious towns in England but has a high criminal rate of around 170.1 crimes per 1000 people.

The major issues and criminal activities prevalent in this city are mostly related to violent crimes, thefts, and criminal damages. 

There are many major criminal and underground activities in this town since it houses a large number of industrial plants and manufacturing industries in the whole of England.

4. Chelsea and Kensington

Chelsea and Kensington are known to have high rates of criminal activities constituting 160.4 crimes per 1000 people.

This city is known to be one of the most affluent cities in England but with the fame comes some disadvantages. 

Criminal activities also take a major toll with approximately 57% of cases of theft. The other criminal activities with equally alarming rates are violent crimes and vehicle offences, making it one of the roughest places to live in.

5. Blackpool

Blackpool is considered to be a primary coastal location in the northern portion of England with crime rates as high as 157.3 crimes per 1000 people. 

Even though this city is cherished and enjoyed as a coastal destination for many people, it hides a disturbing rate of crime behind its picturesque views. 

The major issues include a soaring number of crimes in violent crimes, theft, and criminal damages. Hence it is also considered to be one of the roughest places to live in England.

6. Liverpool

Liverpool is the most integral part of the UK’s musical, arts, and cultural contributions. But even though it hosts such a rich cultural heritage, it has a much more disturbing hidden part which makes the city unwelcome and unfit to live in. 

Its overall crime rate is as high as 136.7 crimes per 1000 people. There are a lot of contributors to that rate but the majority of the criminal activities include violent crimes, theft, and drug crimes.

7. Hull

Hull’s crime rate ranges from 136.7 crimes per 1000 people.

Hull, formerly known as a city of rich cultural heritage and traditions has now turned into a hub of criminal activities and ranks among the worst and roughest places to live and survive in the whole of England. 

The contributors to the climbing figures of the criminal rates are major violent crimes, thefts, and public order offences. All of these underscore the changing tides in Kingston-Upon-Hull.

8. Doncaster

At the cusp of the top 10 most dangerous places to live in England lies Doncaster. This city is known as the industrial powerhouse of England. It has high crime rates ranging to 134.1 crimes per 1000 people. 

It is also a densely populated area of Yorkshire. According to the records of last year, the most prevalent criminal activities in the city include violent crimes, theft, and criminal damages.

These crimes have witnessed substantial growth over the years, leading to potential danger and threat to living circumstances.

9. Leeds

Leeds is one of the largest and thriving cities in England, with a growing popularity for art and culture. 

The area has a crime rate as high as 133.3 crimes per 1000 people. Perhaps the area’s popularity is a significant contributor to the criminal activities prevalent in this city. 

The latest statistics revealed that the most issues that saw a concerning growth in numbers were violent crimes, theft, and public order offences.

10. Southampton

Southampton is one of the island’s most famous and recognised port cities and is a hub for criminal activities making it appear in the list of most dangerous places in England. 

It is also viewed as the gateway of England as it has high crime rates ranging from 133.3 crimes per 1000 people.

There is an ongoing concern about the alarming rates of criminal activities such as violent crimes, thefts, and burglary, which is almost 77% higher than its neighbouring countries.

Factors to Consider

From the above insights, we can be able to derive a few factors and characteristics that lead to criminal activities thriving in England.

  • The first factor would be high crime rates including anti-social behaviour, vandalism drug abuse etc.
  • Another issue is that the rough areas suffer from economic deprivation due to high levels of poverty, low wages, and issues of unemployment. There also prevails the issue of poor houses and infrastructure which are old and substandard, poorly maintained, overcrowded, and dilapidated.
  • Transportation, healthcare, and education facilities are also underfunded. This causes a rupture in social equality and isolates it from the broader society.
  • Areas that have rough characteristics often witness higher rates of social unrest, protests, and community tensions. Issues concerning police relations, gang violence, or discrimination can lead to feelings of injustice and frustration.
  • In some cases, there are tensions between different ethnic or socioeconomic groups, which can fuel social instability.

Conclusion

The toughest areas in England face a double burden of high crime rates, economic deprivation, poor housing, and lack of access to education and health services.

All these problems are compounded by social exclusion, high unemployment, and poverty cycles that are hard to break out of.

In such a context, many of these communities have still shown resilience and a continuing strive for betterment. Regeneration projects, community initiatives, and social programs have attempted to tackle the challenges of unemployment and crime, among other issues, which are hard to come by sometimes.

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