Apparently, Nottingham is the most dangerous city outside of London. At least, that’s according to a new City Safety Index 2025 put together by security training platform Get Licensed.
The company compared police-recorded crime with year-on-year change in crime severity, reoffending and antisocial behaviour, and an FOI-led count of public-space CCTV to rank different places across the nation.
By those metrics, Nottingham is the third most dangerous local authority behind Camden and Islington, respectively, but above Westminster. Other places on the list include Bristol in fifth place, Newcastle in eighth and Manchester at number 10. The East Midlands city scored a safety score of 2.59 out of 10, while the city’s annual crime rate stands at 118.4 per 1,000 people, putting it among Get Licenced’s top 10 most dangerous places in Great Britain.
However, it’s also important to consider the other side of the coin. The City Safety Index shows that crime in Nottingham is actually down 2.33 percent year on year. Plus, it’s also a thriving city centre with top-notch venues and home to the UK's best restaurant (according to SquareMeal), Restaurant Sat Bains.
As for the safest place in the UK? Well, that honour went to the south London town of Sutton. It had an annual crime rate of 61 per 1,000 people and saw a 2.75 percent fall in crime year on year. Close behind in second place was the Shropshire borough of Telford and Wrekin.
The 10 most dangerous city areas in Britain, according to Get Licensed
- Camden (London)
- Islington (London)
- Nottingham
- Westminster (London)
- Bristol
- Blackpool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Leicester
- Manchester
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.