We live in the UK’s most dangerous town – we’re constantly in fear and are losing thousands of pounds
CRIME victims living in the UK’s most dangerous town are losing thousands of pounds to burglars.
Residents in Blackpool, Lancashire, say they are in constant fear of break-ins.
Sufferers include a pensioner who suffered what he described as a “nightmare”, being stabbed by a burglar who stole £1,000 he had saved in hope of moving to a safer area.
The seaside resort has the highest number of burglaries anywhere outside England‘s capital London and major cities – with a rate of 78.44 per 100,000 people, according to security experts Hiatt Hardware.
Lancashire Police have now launched a specialist operation to try to crack down on the coastal town’s crime epidemic.
Officers discovered a frail grandfather shaking after being hauled from his bed and stabbed in both ears by a masked intruder.
The pensioner told police it was a “living nightmare”.
His attacker Nicholas Walsh was jailed for 15 years last May over the burglary but his victim’s physical and mental scars remain, LancsLive has now reported.
The victim struggles to sleep and feels the need to regularly check locks throughout the night.
The £1,000 taken from him was from his savings earmarked for a move to a safer area.
Official statistics have Blackpool ranked eighth nationally for burglary, robbery and theft offences.
Lancashire Police have now launched Op Defender, which they credit with more than 1,000 arrests for break-ins and robberies already.
Among those captured is Ferenc Horvath, 31, who targeted properties in Blackpool, St Annes and Bispham.
He has now been jailed for 21 months after pleading guilty to three residential burglaries, one attempted burglary and four counts of fraud, the force said.
Hotels, B&Bs and residential properties across the resort were also targeted by Terry Ward, said to be a career criminal burgling since the age of 12.
He carried a burgling kit in his backpack including plyers, screwdrivers and a half-set of scissors.
The Hiatt Hardware figures suggest Blackpool suffers 21.28 robberies, 78.44 burglaries and 88.16 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people.
The figures put the town behind only the London boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Islington and Hammersmith and Fulham, and the northern cities of Manchester and Middlesbrough.
Lancashire Police insisted they were taking a “robust and proactive approach” to domestic break-ins.
Supt Derry Crorken, force lead for Op Defender, said: “We know that burglary is an incredibly personal, and invasive crime which can shatter confidence and feelings of safety.
“Everyone has a right to feel safe and be safe in their homes and nobody should ever have to experience being burgled.
“That is why we are committed to ensuring victims get the best possible service, including an officer going to their address.”
And Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner Andrew Snowden said: “Cracking down on burglary and robbery, and ensuring people feel safe in their homes, is a priority in my Fighting Crime Plan.
“I funded Op Defender to strengthen the constabulary’s efforts to proactively target prolific offenders and ensure that anyone found guilty of this type of crime feels the full force of the law.
“By guaranteeing all residential burglaries are attended by an officer, we are sending a clear message to victims, and the wider public that we understand the lasting impact this kind of crime has.
“It’s also right that we work with our communities to help residents better protect themselves and prevent giving criminals opportunity to take advantage.”
Nearby Greater Manchester has previously been dubbed the “burglary capital of England”, followed by Cleveland and South Yorkshire.
The West Midlands was identified this year as the worst area in the country for knife crime.
Other towns where residents have raised concerns about rising crime include the Cornwall coastal resort Newquay, Walsall in the West Midlands, Gravesend in Kent and Barry in south Wales.
Meanwhile, a former burglar has offered tips on how homeowners can better protect themselves against break-ins.