TERRIFIED residents living in the UK’s most dangerous area have pleaded for “Batman” to save them from the area’s rising crime rate.
Crime-ridden Cleveland tops the list of places in Britain where people are most likely to become victims of violent crime.
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Crime statistics show that Cleveland is the most dangerous place to live in BritainCredit: NNP
Office for National Statistics figures show the region, which has a population of around 500,000, has 147.2 recorded crimes per 1,000 people – up from 139.2 earlier this year.
These include violent crimes, shoplifting, sexual crimes, burglaries and arson.
And residents of Middlesbrough, the capital of the region, have now spoken out about what it’s like to live in a dangerous neighbourhood.
Resident James Kerry (46) called for drastic measures to keep the neighborhood safe.
He said: “The problem is bad in Cleveland. The problem is that criminals are let off too easily and given light sentences and then they go and do it.
“I wish there was someone like Batman who could come and oversee it.
“I live in Grangetown and you see people on motorbikes doing wheelies.
“They could easily kill someone or seriously injure someone.
“Now I usually sit in the house and stay away from everything.”
And mum Sabrina Hazell revealed she is desperate to protect herself – taking her dog with her.
The 35-year-old full-time student said: “There is a huge drug problem in Cleveland and it contributes a lot to crime.
“The numbers make you feel uneasy, but they don’t come as a huge surprise.”
Meanwhile, retired steel worker Mick Norris told how he witnessed a gang attack on his neighbour.
The 70-year-old, who lives ten minutes away in Marton, said: “I’ve lived down here for a long time and I’ve seen crime with my own eyes.
“One night around 2000, I looked out the window and saw a group of about 30 people robbing my neighbor.
“It was a long time ago, but crime was still bad then.
“I’m not comfortable in that area anymore and a lot of people I know say that.
“I think it all stems from people drinking a lot. If you watch the intercepts on TV, a lot of crime is alcohol and drug related and that’s a problem in Cleveland.”
CAPITAL CRIMES
Cleveland is the current “crime capital of England” with the highest crime rate per 1,000 residents.
The figures are calculated to show the level of crime proportional to the number of people living there.
According to the latest figures from the ONS, there are 147.2 crimes per 1,000 people in Cleveland.
Of these, 33.1 were violent crimes.
The North East county has a crime rate double that of neighboring North Yorkshire.
Devon and Cornwall are the safest places to live in England and Wales, with the lowest rates of crime and violent offending.
Per 1,000, they have only 57.7 crimes per year – of which 18.8 are violent.
Wiltshire, Surrey and Hertfordshire were also among the safest areas in the country.
Surprisingly, per capita, crime-ridden London doesn’t even make the top 10 most dangerous places.
It comes in 15th place – with the Metropolitan Police dealing with 101.6 victim crimes per 1,000 people.
However, unsurprisingly, it is the number one worst place for robberies and thefts.
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The locals called Batman for helpCredit: Alamy
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Sabrina Hazell says things are only getting worse in ClevelandCredit: NNP
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James Kerry stays at home due to high crime rate Credit: NNP
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