UK’s ‘worst’ seaside town branded ‘one of the most dangerous places in England’

The UK’s “worst” seaside town has been branded “one of the most dangerous places in England”

TikTok user Phil Carr caused a stir with his video about the town, saying: “Most people think the Isle of Sheppey is a prison colony – but it’s far worse than that.”

He also dubbed it as being “probably the most dangerous place in the whole of the southeast of England”.

Recent data showed Sheerness was indeed the second most dangerous small town in Kent and in the top 10 of the UK’s most dangerous towns, villages and cities.

Last year alone, the town recorded 181 crimes per 1,000 residents – totalling 2,353 crimes among its 13,000 inhabitants.

Sheerness is one of England’s most deprived areas, according to the Office for National Statistics. It got a score of 77.9 out of 100 on the indices of multiple deprivation scale – which takes into account income, employment, education, health and 33 other metrics.

One local pulled no punches, branding the area an “isolated hellhole” and an “industrial eyesore”, saying: “If you are thinking of moving to this god-forsaken town for whatever reason, please don’t do it, even the pits of Thanet are more attractive.”

Yet, other residents maintain that their town epitomises an era when community spirit was the heart of British life.

Speaking to the Mirror, Alice from a local funeral directors, said: “I would never move off the Island because it’s still massively centred on community. You can always open your door and see someone you know, someone you can talk to, familiar faces.”

Alice acknowledged that, like any town, there are “pockets of places that may not be as nice as others” but stressed that they “don’t have any trouble”.

Martin, who has lived in the town for 30 years, said: “It’s basically a large village: this man who said it’s a prison colony, he’s obviously not from here.”

Meanwhile, Helen, who works at a popular fish and chip shop, said that she has noticed crime in the town: “I mean, sometimes you see something happening.

“You see people arguing, or something’s happened, or someone’s running after someone. But I’ve never come across anything bad happening to someone.”

But there are a number of things that the area can, in fact, shout about.

Sheerness beach was one of just six Kent beaches that was named among the best in the country for visitors earlier this year, receiving a Blue Flag.

It is the world’s most recognised award for beaches and marinas with applicants required to meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.

Then there’s the nearby Barton’s Point Coastal Park. The 40 acres of outstanding natural beauty are a great place for outdoor activities including windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, and canoeing.

As well as being home to a plethora of wildlife, the salt lake is perfect for fans of fishing. The park is also the home of the Sheppey Model Engineering Society, which offers miniature steam train rides and a field for flying model aeroplanes.