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Planning on a visit to London? Maybe you’re thinking of moving to our awesome city… A common question for many visitors and prospective residents is ‘Is London Safe?’
How safe is it to wander around London? Am I going to get mugged, stabbed or generally ripped off when I visit London?
Well, if you’re looking for a solid answer about how safe is London, you’ve come to the right place.
How much crime is there in London?
Yes, there is crime in London. It’s a huge multicultural city with areas of poverty and deprivation and there are plenty of people who might be classed as ‘bad’. But for crime, London is not actually the most dangerous city in Europe. It’s not even the most dangerous city in the UK…!
Nope. The worst city on Numbeo’s list is Bradford in the North of England. And you’re more likely to fall victim to crime in Marseille, Naples, Birmingham and Paris than you are in London. In fact, London is at position 17 on the list of most crime ridden cities in Europe. Which, when you consider that London is one of the biggest cities in Europe puts it into context.
On a global scale, London is a total lightweight in the world of crime. London in Canada is more dangerous than London England.
There are just under 83 crimes per 1000 people in London. Which is under the national average of 89 for the UK in 2019/20.
Are there parts of London that are off-limits?
There is a famous article from a Chinese magazine saying how parts of London are off limits. This is frankly sensationalist writing which pretty much hypes up that parts of London are unsafe for visitors. But is it true? Yes and no.
Yes, there are parts of London you don’t want to go to. Shit, there’s parts I’ll avoid and I live here. Are they off limits? Well, no. No one is gonna stop you. But if you want to walk through a sketchy estate in Haringey, that’s your call.
Will you get mugged or stabbed? Well, unless you’re doing something stupid like waving around your Gucci handbag, or trying to take photos of some road men, no probably not. But you’ll probably not enjoy the experience.
I used to live next to what was a well known and shady estate in South London, which I often walked through at night. Never had any problems, although I did see people selling drugs openly. But keep yourself to yourself and you’ll be fine.
The same rules apply in London as they do in any other city of the world. Avoid doing things that draw attention to you, keep your valuables out of sight and if someone looks a bit shifty, walk the other way.
Is there crime in central London?
Well, yes obviously. Where there is opportunity for petty crime, such as pickpocketing, muggings, assaults or theft then there will be people taking those opportunities. Beware of people coming up to you and seemigly trying to distract you – which can be cover for pickpockets.
If you’re using your phone or laptop in public, be aware of the people around you. If you think you’re being checked out, make yourself safe.
London is a relatively safe big city and the chances of you falling victim to any crime are relatively small. I’ve been here for 8 years and so far nothing…
Enjoy your visit, stay vigilant but don’t worry about if London is safe or not.
