Robbin' 'hood

Uh-oh, more bad press for Nottingham, this time in the shape of the news that it's been named the burglary capital of the UK. Apparently "residents there were more than twice as likely to make a claim for household theft than the company's national average". Nottinghamshire Police have disputed the claims, but mud will inevitably stick.

In my seven years in the city, I was never actually a victim of burglary myself, though several friends were. Although it doesn't constitute burglary, my brother had two bikes nicked in the space of around three months towards the tail end of last year - the second from his back yard at 11am in broad daylight. Needless to say, crime levels (in tandem with artificially high rent) are starting to have a noticeable impact - Lenton, which used to be the vibrant hub of the off-campus community, is now increasingly deserted, the To Let signs lining the streets even in term time as students decide they'd be better off living elsewhere.

I can't sign off without mentioning the time five years ago when my then housemate Matt's rusty old Metro was stolen from outside our house. Turns out it had been taken by joyriders, and was found by the police parked outside the 14-year-old perpetrator's house, a cushion on the driver's seat and the footwells full of Wotsits...