Shrewsbury among worst for crime figures
Thursday 22nd December 2011, 10:59AM GMT.
Crime and anti-social behaviour in Shrewsbury town centre is ranked among the worst two per cent in England and Wales, latest figures show.
There were 300 incidents across Shrewsbury in November, according to statistics on the Police UK website, and the town centre is rated as a ‘high’ crime area compared with the rest of England and Wales.
Up to 17 incidents occurring within the River Severn loop last month were either violent crimes or public order offences involving weapons, with Castle Gates and Barker Street among the worst hotspots.
Six violent crimes were recorded in Hills Lane during the latest four week period.
Councillor Tony Durnell, mayor of Shrewsbury and vice chairman for the West Mercia Crimestoppers, said: “The figures might look high but when you put it into perspective we will probably see a couple of months down the line that there is a high success rate for prosecutions.”
No-one from West Mercia Police was available to comment. To view the figures visit www.police.uk
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17 incidents of violent crime or public order … in a month !!! SIX in Hills Lane … in a month !!! (without knowing the area can I assume Hills Lane has pubs/clubs on or very near it ???)
If that puts Shrewsbury within the worst two per cent, heaven help Telford lol – the above sound like the figures for a single Tuesday afternoon ha ha !!
In fact I’ve just looked at the Crime map for sleepy little Newport ….. and that’s far worse than the whole of big bad Shrewsbury – does that mean we will see a massive influx in riot police, baton guns and water cannon to resolve our clearly mean streets ????
On a side note – how many of Shrewsbury’s anto-social reports include the ‘muggings’ by pain-in-the-*** charity collectors on Pride Hill ???
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Still in denial.
Typical Shrewsbury type “not in my town” Person, well it does happen despite the lack of stories in the ShropshireStar, i have seen it, had it dished out to me hence the sleepy “backward” town has zero visit from me, felt safer in London.
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011/12/20/victim-cut-in-glass-attack-at-shrewsbury-pub/
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Shropsman, Hills lane is a cut though from one street to the barker street carpark area. No pubs located here, but would get busy with prople going from pub to pub. However Hills lane is a great place to meet guys who just want to have fun in Shrewsbury.
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I’m not surprised by the contents of this story, or the statistics. I have been out of an evening socially in many large towns and cities all over the UK, including London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Cardiff, and never have I seen the sort of antisocial behaviour that I regularly witness in Shrewsbury.
In Shrewsbury it’s not unusual to see drunken louts staggering around the streets shouting abuse and arguing with anyone nearby. The frequency with which I have observed these antics has definitely increased during the last decade.
Perhaps more concerning is the fact that during this time the propensity of said louts to engage in physical violence has also increased. The violence can range from small groups engaged in a bit of pushing and shoving, to some pretty nasty looking syndicates punching and kicking each other.
I’ll certainly think twice before venturing into the loop on Christmas and new year’s eve. I’d recommend all decent people to do the same.
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I don’t believe a word you say in your comment. I’ve spent plenty of time in all those places. You see a lot more extreme behaviour in all of them.
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Dear Star readers
I’m afraid this story is inaccurate. West Mercia Police did give a statement to the Star this morning. It read:
“While the Police.uk website is a good general guide for the public to get a picture of crime where they live, the information given does need to be treated with some caution.
“Most town and city centres across the country will come up as areas high in crime and anti-social behaviour levels and Shrewsbury is typical in this.
“Town centres are the locations for most theft and shoplifting incidents and anti-social behaviour levels are pushed up by alcohol-related disorder during weekend evenings. The figures are then being compared to all post code areas in the country from the depths of rural England and Wales to quiet suburbs. Also, the rates are numbers of crimes per 1,000 people, and town centres also have relatively small residential populations, which pushes up the rates further.
“The figures for Shrewsbury town centre compare favourably with nearby towns and cities and the figure for November crime and anti-social behaviour of 300 is down from the summer peak of 425 in July.”
I hope this clarifies things.
Toby Shergold
Media Communications Dept,
West Mercia Police.
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I originally came from Shrewsbury leaving grudgingly at the age of sixteen. When moving from Worcestershire 5 years ago my wife suggested returning……….I flatly refused, I want nothing to do with the place now.
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So just to push the point a little further Shropshire Star publish a photograph of the statue of Robert Clive. One of the most unsavoury, odious and despicable bullies of all time.
You couldn’t make it up if you were to try.
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This story sounds implausible. I’ve lived on Wyle Cop for twelve years. Of course we have revellers but have had very little trouble. It feels like a very safe place.
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So wheres my post… facts they hurt eh
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011/12/23/man-44-targeted-in-shrewsbury-attack/
Not forgetting the Glassing of a young lad in a pub last week
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Its always the same area near the dodgy pubs and clubs. Most people who know the town and just want to go out to enjoy themselves don’t go near that area. Shrewsbury certainly isn’t a bad or dangerous place like the title suggests.
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The West Mercia Police is a reactive force. It relies almost totally on feedback passed to it by the public in response to it’s never ending appeals for information relating to crimes already committed which half decent policing would have prevented in the first place.
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Lived in shrewsbury all my life and I can remember the day when you used to be able to go into shrewsbury town centre on a weekend night for an enjoyable, safe night
You could have a few beers, a laugh and lookforward to the next time
Now you go out, keep one eye over your shoulder and daren’t make eye contact with anybody on the way home
Sign of the times ? maybe..
But personally i can’t wait to leave the place in a few years
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Im originally from Manchester and feel a lot safer in Manchester as i do in Shrewsbury.
I have seen the town centre at weekends and to be truthful its a scary place, too many unpredictable drunk youths adamant on causing harm and trouble, but these so called hard men would not last a minute in a City as they live in a bubble and dont think.
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High crime in Shrewsbury? Oh dear!
I always thought that Shrewsbury was some sort of Utopia that nothing bad ever happened?
Well, that’s what a lot of the snobby inhabitants will tell you!
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Does this mean that the, Oh so far up themselves, Shrewsbury dwellers might just for once be wrong ? – No better than the rest of us? Maybe even worse than the people of Telford that they always seem to be looking down thier noses at and trying to put down ?
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‘Shropman’ dosent by his own admission says he dosent know hills lane so comments on a Tuesday afternoon in telford which he deffinatly dosent know!! It annoys me when a subject comes up like this and its always ‘ well telford is worse’, ps I live in sy3 7 it just always seems a really cheap punch, even if people don’t know the area! Oh yea and lol??
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Must be all these hunting lot skewing the crime figures – afterall the minister says it doesn’t work. Of course he’d not want people breaking that law would he.
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