A new survey has named Doncaster as one of the most unsafe places in England to buy a house.

Doncaster ranks sixth overall in the study, with 6.56 residential burglaries per 1,000 people, 3.69 sexual offences per 1,000 people and 179.73 annual road accidents per 100,000.

Westminster is the most unsafe area, with 7.36 residential burglaries per 1,000 people, 7.50 sexual offences per 1,000 people and 587.61 annual road accidents per 100,000.

House buying experts at housebuyers4u analysed seven factors related to safety, including crime rate, the number of annual road accidents, and the number of available GP practices in each unitary authority area in England with a population of at least 100,000 people.

Doncaster is one of the most unsafe places in the UK to buy a house, a new survey has said.

placeholder image — Doncaster is one of the most unsafe places in the UK to buy a house, a new survey has said.

They created an index of these factors to identify which areas are the most unsafe to live in.

Kingston upon Hull was second, with a safety index score of 36.84/100. The area has the third highest rate of residential burglary in England, at 6.82 per 1,000 people. Additionally, there are just 10.79 available GP practices per 100,000 residents, 75% lower than England’s average of 42.49.

Blackpool placed third, with a safety index score of 37.82/100. Blackpool’s sexual offence rate is the second highest in England, at 5.85 per 1,000 people. It has 12.01 available GP practices per 100,000 citizens, which is 72% lower than average in England.

On the other hand, the safest area to live is Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, with a safety index score of 73.16/100. Closely following are Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire and Wokingham, Berkshire, with safety index scores of 69.96/100 and 67.47/100, respectively.

Paul Gibbens, property expert at housebuyers4u, has commented, “It is interesting to see which areas rank as the most unsafe in England. There seems to be more unsafe areas in the North, particularly in Yorkshire. This highlights the importance of considering factors other than price and property features when choosing a location to buy a house.

“For first-time buyers and families, safety should be a top priority; it is essential to be aware of things like local crime rates and access to healthcare services before committing to an area to buy a property.”