Daisy Phillipson
A new survey has named the ‘most dangerous city in Europe’ - and you might be surprised to know that it’s in the UK.
Collated by Expatriate Consultancy, which offers help to people moving abroad, the study looked at data from Numbeo’s Crime Index.
Published twice a year, the index focuses on increases in crime over the past three years, as well as issues such as thefts, robberies and attacks.
Each of the world’s cities is then given a crime index value based on a variety of sources from the country, with a figure of less than 20 meaning a low prevalence of crime.
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According to the list, the most dangerous city in Europe is Bradford in West Yorkshire, which has a crime index value of a whopping 71.24.
This also makes it the 26th most dangerous city in the world.
What’s more, the second most dangerous in Europe is another UK location - Coventry in the West Midlands, which scored 68.35 on the crime index.
Statistics show that both cities have relatively high crime rates compared to others in the UK.
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In 2021, the overall rate for Bradford was 146 crimes per 1,000 people, the most common being violence and sexual offences. For the same year, Coventry’s rate was 102 crimes per 1,000 people.
But some people have questioned the survey and whether its sources are credible, especially given that other UK cities have higher crime rates.
Birmingham, for example, had a rate of nearly 137 crimes per 1,000 people in 2021.
Bradford’s District Commander, chief superintendent Rob McCoubrey, dismissed the study and the fact that it placed Bradford in first place.
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He told Express.co.uk: "West Yorkshire Police do not recognise this data and do not accept how any methodology can provide a credible comparison across continents, countries, and cities.
"Bradford is a safe place to live, work and visit. Like any city where deprivation and poverty exist there are of course challenges.
"However, we work closely with partner agencies and communities to effectively tackle issues as they emerge.
"For example, over the last three years knife crime in Bradford has fallen by 19 percent and residential burglaries by 57 percent.
"It is disappointing that this survey fails to recognise many of the attributes that make Bradford such a fantastic city."
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McCoubrey added that the service’s crime data is set by the Home Office, and that the West Yorkshire Police force follows strict rules.
He continued: "We are rated as 'outstanding' by [Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services] in respect of how we record crimes.
"People in Bradford can have confidence that when they report crime it will be properly recorded and acted upon."