Lewisham is least peaceful place in whole of UK, says United Kingdom Peace Index

LEWISHAM has been judged the least peaceful local authority area in the whole of the UK, a new study has revealed.

Rates of murder and violent crime have fallen in the UK over the past decade, according to UK Peace Index.

Yet Lewisham is ranked as the least peaceful area with a homicide rate - including murder, manslaughter and infanticide - of more than twice the national average at 2.5 in 2012.

The study looks at the levels of peace – defined as the absence of violence and the fear of violence – within the UK from 2003 to 2012.


The five indicators for how peaceful an area is are the number of homicides, the number of violence crimes, weapons crime, public disorder offences, and the number of police officers per 100,000 people.

Knife crime, social deprivation, and a high number of teenage pregnancies were all deemed major problems in Lewisham with Lewisham Central ward seeing the bulk of the borough’s crime.

The study closely links deprivation with a lack of peace and more than 60 per cent of Lewisham households were shown as being deprived in housing, education, health and employment.

In recent years, knife crime between young people aged 13 and 24 are listed as a concern with the conception rate for under 18 year olds standing at 1.8 times the national average.


2011 was the worst year for homicides in Lewisham with 11 recorded and its average of seven per year compares unfavourably against a national decline in the number and rate of homicides.

Despite decreases in weapons crime and violent crime in recent years, the number of incidents remains well above national trends, the report concluded.

UKPI was drawn up by the Institute for Economics and Peace and compares 343 local authorities where 278 are deemed more peaceful now than in 2003.

South East England is judged as the most peaceful region in the UK with Broadland, Three Rivers and South Cambridgeshire as the top local authority areas.

Whereas the five least peaceful are all London boroughs with Lewisham topping the charts, followed by Lambeth, Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

Do these figures surprise you? Is Lewisham the least peaceful place in the world?

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10375202.Lewisham_is_the_least_peaceful_place_in_the_whole_of_UK/?ref=nt

...To answer our local newspapers question...I'm very much taken aback!....I cite Lewisham peoples day where people of all different cultures/religions and sexual orientations mix together without any kind of trouble!...It's a very famous festival as well!

.....In this part of Lewisham (Hither Green)....It has a village type feel and is very sleepy and nothing violent ever happens around here!

.......Are they just using this as an excuse to deprive us of our festival

I stayed in Deptford last year, that was rough as feck!

Dean wrote:I stayed in Deptford last year, that was rough as feck!

Deptford comes under Greenwich borough!

philagain wrote:

Dean wrote:I stayed in Deptford last year, that was rough as feck!

Deptford comes under Greenwich borough!

I know, i was working in Greenwich when the Olympics were due to start. Lovely place. Deptford is a hell-hole though...

Dean wrote:

philagain wrote:

Dean wrote:I stayed in Deptford last year, that was rough as feck!

Deptford comes under Greenwich borough!

I know, i was working in Greenwich when the Olympics were due to start. Lovely place. Deptford is a hell-hole though...

They don't have any cash points there

.....My partner used to work at a charity shop in Deptford and says there were never any problems...He dragged up to raise money outside of the shop and said that he didn't get any hassle at all...He says it's very friendly!