British interior minister feels unsafe in London after dark
Britain's interior minister Jacqui Smith told the media that she would be afraid of walking the streets of London late at night.
By Agencies |
LONDON: Britain's interior minister Jacqui Smith told the media that she would be afraid of walking the streets of London late at night.
The home secretary said she would feel unsafe walking around plush districts like Kensington and Chelsea as well as deprived areas like Hackney.
Asked if she would feel safe walking alone after midnight in Hackney, Smith replied: "Well, no, but I don't think I'd ever have done. You know, I would never have done that, at any point in my life."
Asked why not, she answered: "Well, I just don't think that's a thing that people do, is it really?"
Smith was then asked whether she would feel unsafe walking around an area like Kensington and Chelsea. She replied: "Well, I wouldn't walk around at midnight and I'm fortunate that I don't have to do that."
"Home secretaries are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, not cower behind net curtains," the media reported.
"The home secretary should not just admit that our streets are not safe, she should do something about it."
A survey by pollsters YouGov in August found that 46 per cent of Londoners did not feel safe in their neighbourhoods at night.
A spate of teenage murders in the capital last year led to fears of a knife and gun culture among urban youths.
The home secretary said she would feel unsafe walking around plush districts like Kensington and Chelsea as well as deprived areas like Hackney.
Asked if she would feel safe walking alone after midnight in Hackney, Smith replied: "Well, no, but I don't think I'd ever have done. You know, I would never have done that, at any point in my life."
Asked why not, she answered: "Well, I just don't think that's a thing that people do, is it really?"
Smith was then asked whether she would feel unsafe walking around an area like Kensington and Chelsea. She replied: "Well, I wouldn't walk around at midnight and I'm fortunate that I don't have to do that."
"Home secretaries are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, not cower behind net curtains," the media reported.
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"The home secretary should not just admit that our streets are not safe, she should do something about it."
A survey by pollsters YouGov in August found that 46 per cent of Londoners did not feel safe in their neighbourhoods at night.
A spate of teenage murders in the capital last year led to fears of a knife and gun culture among urban youths.
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