Australian travellers have been warned to stay away from London as street crime and the cost of living crisis spiral out of control.
Seasoned travellers have criticised the city for being “unsafe” and even Brits have taken to social media to reveal they no longer feel at home.
According to police, it’s more than just a sensation: every six minutes someone snatches a phone from their hands, pocket or bag; in January alone, 8,500 were stolen.
A young woman took to TikTok to vent about London’s decay and mourn the loss of the city she grew up in.
“I think this is the worst thing that has happened in the city in my lifetime,” he said.
The woman said Londoners are “paying through the nose” to live there and have to deal with violent crime “right outside” their front door.
Others were quick to agree with some who claimed the troubled city “will self-destruct within the next ten years.”
“I moved to Spain and I didn’t realise how bad London was until I left. It’s a dump. Get out of here,” urged another woman.
Londoners are warning people not to go indoors due to the cost of living crisis and rising crime. Every six minutes a phone is snatched from someone’s hands, pocket or bag – 8,500 phones were stolen in January alone (file image)
“I was born and raised in London and oh my god this is taking its toll on me,” agreed a third.
Even regular visitors are fed up with the city on the Thames.
“I’ve been here almost seven years. I’m ready to leave now. Especially after the pandemic, something just doesn’t feel the same,” one woman said on Reddit.
Another Londoner said he has called the city home for six years, sticking to more exclusive areas to stay out of trouble, but even those have become unsafe.
“I’ve lived in what people say are the best and richest neighbourhoods in London and crime is rife here. It’s no joke and it’s becoming more and more common these days. I now hear the police passing by my house every day, whereas before they used to come once every two weeks,” she complains.
He added that his home had recently been burglarized, showing that crime is reaching the wealthier streets.
A Redditor from Melbourne who considers himself “pretty street smart” and claims he “hasn’t lost a valuable possession in 30 years” had his phone stolen while he was waiting for an Uber at Gatwick Airport in London.
The robber approached on a motorcycle, crashed into the man and snatched the phone from his hand.
“I still have no words to express my disappointment at this situation and my feeling of loss and anger,” said the Australian tourist.
Moped gangs are found all over the city, hundreds of them targeting the devices of people walking down the streets every day.
A young woman took to TikTok to vent about London’s steep decline and mourned the loss of the city she grew up in. “I think this is the worst city I’ve ever been in in my life,” she said (file image)
A woman who grew up in the city sympathised with the man and the 100,000 other people who have their phones snatched from their hands every year.
“I had constant anxiety every time I went outside, so I left and my mental health immediately improved,” she said.
Repeat visitors are also postponing their plans to return.
“I couldn’t wait to get back to London when the world opened up, but the reality was terrifying. I was told not to talk to strangers, to hide my phone and to be alert at all times,” added one Australian woman.
“I’m in London right now, just visiting. If I had to live here, I’d kill myself,” said one tourist.
“I recently went there and it freaked me out. There are so many scary incidents in London! And I’m a seasoned traveller who rarely gets into trouble,” one woman added.
Violent crime in the city is linked to rising cost-of-living pressures that have crippled the population, the London School of Economics has revealed.
When the cost of living increased by 10 percent, reported crimes increased by eight percent, according to the school’s data.
The high cost of living in the city is another reason people are urged to stay away.
“Inflation has hit the UK much harder than Australia, and so far Australia seems to be enjoying a slow slide into recession while the UK is suffering a steep decline,” warned one Australian in London on Reddit.
Others were quick to agree with one man who revealed that in the past two years living in London, his grocery bill had increased by 30 to 50 percent, rent had increased by 10 to 15 percent, the cost of his lunch had increased by 30 percent and transport had increased by 10 percent.
But his salary had only increased by eight percent.
Urgent warnings and reports of violent crime and high living costs angered other city lovers.
“I love living here, I travel a lot and I always feel relieved when I come back,” said one woman.
“I moved to London from Australia and I was able to be myself for the first time in my life. It’s wonderful,” said another.
One Australian who has no regrets about moving said: “I’ve lived here for 20 years and every time I cross one of the central bridges over the Thames, my heart skips a beat.”
Others urged people to “get a feel for the city for themselves” before “getting carried away by stories of crime and hysteria”.