These are the British cities where locals feel most unsafe – so is yours on the list?
London doesn't top the list of least safe places to live in the UK as a new study shows where residents feel most at risk
RESIDENTS of Birmingham are most likely to feel unsafe walking their city streets at night – while Edinburgh has been ranked the safest city in the UK.
A shocking 42% of those living in the Midlands city said they don’t always feel safe while out and about during the day.
Another 32% worry even when they are in their own home and half wouldn’t dream of going out after dark.
In Edinburgh by comparison nearly 90% of people feel safe, with just 16% experiencing crime.
The stats come from a study to mark the launch of new true crime docu-series Murdertown on Crime+Investigation, which also found only two thirds would recommend their town or city as a safe place to live.
Researchers found Bristol ranks in second among the top five safest cities, closely followed by Brighton and Hove, with Southampton and Cambridge completing the top five.
Leicester took second place for the cities residents feel the least safe in, followed by Manchester, London and Sheffield.
The study polling 2,000 Brits revealed 31% have felt unsafe in their own home at one point or another, with nearly a quarter hearing of break-ins or attacks in their local area.
Just under half of those polled have known a victim of crime, with a home break-in being the most commonly experienced offence.
More than a third know someone who have been the target of car theft and nearly a quarter are acquainted with someone who has been mugged.
Britain's Safest Cities
The country's top five safest
- Edinburgh
- Bristol
- Brighton and Hove
- Southampton
- Cambridge
Britain's Least Safe Cities
The five least safe cities
- Birmingham
- Leicester
- Manchester
- London
- Sheffield
A spokesperson for Crime+Investigation added: “The results of this study offer a fascinating insight into how safe we Britons feel in our cities and towns.''
It also emerged nearly a quarter have been a victim of crime themselves in the town or city they live in and think more can be done to make them feel at ease.
Half would like to see police patrolling the streets more often to make them feel safer, and a third belive additional street lights would make the difference.
Brits have felt so anxious, nearly a quarter have either moved or considered a move to an entirely different town or city in a bid to feel safer.
In fact, three fifths reckoned towns and rural areas and generally safer than larger cities, with nearly half under the impression they have become more worried about their safety as they have got older.
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And one third who took part in the OnePoll.com study felt less safe now in their current hometown or city than they did 10 years ago.
The spokesman added: ''Our new series Murdertown explores these perceptions we hold of the places we live; revealing some truly shocking crimes while also shining a light on the determination of local law enforcement and the inspirational resilience of communities fighting for justice.”