The 5 WORST Areas to LIVE in LEICESTER (Poverty/Crime Stats Included) 

I had an awesome day out in Leicester, as you can probably see from the video. Thanks for watching, all comments and feedback is welcome, I read and obsess over every comment - so be nice! 😁 I'll be out and about soon, feel free to recommend some more of the UK's finest destinations. Cheers!

Where do you get your info from??? Saying st matthews is 90% white 😂 ( 95% non white is correct ) Its a hellhole now as it always has been Somewhere between Mogadishu & lahore Go check it out 😂

Even the pigeons fly upside down cus there's nothing worth shitting on

as someone from Leicester I appreciate you shining the camera onto the city (Maybe not in the best light lol).

The fact that saffron lane and new parks weren't mentioned is wild

I lived in high fields in 2010. While I had no problems and actually enjoyed my time there, I wasn’t oblivious to the dangers there. There was even a body found just around the corner from my house

Good video although the Aylestone area you covered was more Eyres Monsell estate - around the shops you filmed is old Aylestone village which is alright but the white houses and the parks you filmed were on The Monsell as its known locally, which is pretty rough. Westcotes is a strange one as half of it isn't anywhere near as bad is the other half. Around Narb Rd it's OK-ish but go on the other side of Hinckley Road and it becomes dodge central - used to get most of my drugs round there! Great vid though but as another commented above, Saffron Lane estate, New Parks, Highfields, Evington Rd/East Park Rd area are worth a visit if you're into your dodgy places, plus quite a few more too.

You can round 5 down to 1 by saying the entire place is shite 😂

Mentioned Aylestone but most of the filming for that segment was Eyres Monsell.

As someone who used to live in Braunstone, I actually never experienced any sort of crimes. There are some spots but still, you can say it’s one of the worst but in reality, nothing really goes on and it’s only a few occurrences

Thanks for posting your latest Video I really Enjoy watching them. I am a Ex-pat from Manchester and if you ever get up there. You might want to explore Whitefield which is part of Bury. I moved to Canada in 1978 and seeing how the situation is In England these days saddens me. But your doing a great Job in filming and Narration keep up the great work.😊

Top 5 worst for me is Highfields St Matthews Spinney Hill New Foundpool New Parks Most have 1 thing in common 🤔 But most estates could be on the list, Braunstone, Beaumont Leys, Mowacre Hill, Belgrave, Northfields, Thurby Lodge, Netherhall, Rowlatts Hill, Eyres Monsell etc

I lived in leicester for about 10 years and spent 4 of those in a house slap bang between two brothels in Westcotes. It is a weird place, a shit tonne of poverty and large transitory communities that never help. For the most part if you aren't involved in drugs and illegal business you are alright, I walked many a time home from pubs in town on Naughborough road and never came to any sort of harm. However my local barber did tell me a story about a drug dealer being beheaded in the street by a rival a few blocks away!

I cannot believe Highfields didn't make this list!! I think you should visit the area of Page Hall in Sheffield, which certainly would make good viewing.

Never live in the city centre again. used to live in the tower block opposite the train station and shoe shop on the corner of London road. Moved to Thurmaston safe and peace.

I was born in Leicester in the 1940s. With a small exception or two it wasn't a bad place as I recall. But there was a rapid decline. When we married we got out into the county and almost never go back. Thanks for your trouble making the video - interesting but not unexpected.

You could do that vlog just about any city in Britain it's the same in most places.😞🌹

I was born in Leicester in the 1950s,when they demolished a lot of terraced housing to build st Matthews it was a lovely area. I moved to Skegness over thirty years ago, i couldn't believe the state of st Matthews now it's grimy and looks a lot older than it is. When it was first built it was great we had great shops , a decent pub and a lovely working mens club. It was depressing to see it now.

I would say that Aylestone was actually Eyres Monsell

Narborough Road used to be brilliant, since the students moved away to their new tower blocks it lost all its character and became rougher. Aylestone isn't rough, you've got that wrong, the bits either side of it are, the Saff and the Monsell. But they're still quite quiet really. Braunstone has had its reputation for decades though. St Matthews and Highfields are places I wouldn't like to spend long in, as someone who has lived in Leicester most his life. Interesting video tho, fair play.

Thank you very much for this video. It's very sad that this is happening in England, such a beautiful country.

Another absolutely wicked video mate! Really enjoyed it as always. Are you still doing Worcester as some point? Saddlers Walk, Areas of Warndon / Tollidine and The Westlands in Droitwich Spa are worth a walk around…. All the best. …Smithy

I think you should have some "at night" footage where you capture some of these areas at night. Also what about doing a patreon for some "uncensored footage" ?

Heyyy...Aylestone does (or did) have a relatively upmarket bit between the two gigantic council estates 😉

Interesting video I'm actually surprised by some of the area's on the list, and the ones missing off the list, out of curiosity what are all of the factors you decided on for a area to make the list

By the way the stone in Braunstone and Aylestone is pronounced stun not stone. Also, when you talking about Narborough Road, Braunie Gate should have a mention as that's the main drinking area of Westcotes.

Lived on or just off narborough road for 4 years and loved it, crime only finds you if you find it. Drugs were an issue in the local area but you wouldn’t get much contact unless you were trying to buy or sell. Late nights were fine walking home. We had a run of crimes of taking students to cash points and emptying the accounts but that was the most major. No worse than any other city. The food and culture is amazing and worth a visit

It surprises me that Beaumont Leys is not on that list - I used to have a mate that lived off Heacham Drive, in Beaumont Leys some years ago, and I used to hate having to visit there or leave my car outside his flats, the area was seriously rough back then, and I am surprised also that it wasnt high up the list for the roughest places in Leicester. I agree about Braunstone though, that place was well renowned for trouble and you wouldnt want to walk round those streets there after dark alone. I live in Stoke on Trent myself - A very deprived and troubled city blighted with drugs, crime and poverty - maybe you could try coming and doing a report on it - Renowned areas here are Meir, Abbey Hulton, Chell Heath / Fegg Hayes, Bentilee, Tunstall, Shelton and Hanley - they are all well worth a visit.

Lived in Newfoundpool (pretty much where you did a lot of the filming 😁) for 4 years until very recently, never had an issue really! Great vid

Yes will watch this with a beer later on!!!

Yes to St Matthew’s, but all the rest had my husband and I who have lived in or around Leicester since 1987 and 1995 going “Yer what?” Visit Highfields, Eyres Monsell or the UKIP stronghold of New Parks, then tell me Aylestone is rough!

i’ve lived in 4/5 of the places in this video 😭 you missed out New Parks though, right next to Fosse and probably much worse

I used to live in Lesta, a rough rough city but a lot of genuine people. Back in the 80's and early 90's it was bad. Loved the city and still do. I remember Braunstone being run down but the people rallied around each other with that old British war time sentiment. I wrote this before I seen the video.

I used to live in South Wigston in the early 2000s (back then it was seen as a posh area) which was just below Aylestone/ Saffron Lane/ Eyres Monsell. Brother lived on Grace Road. Also had friends in Highfields (the red light district), St Mathews, Beaumont leys and Belgrave. Although, its a very clicky clicky city, i never felt unsafe.

Great post, thank you. How can house prices be so high in these areas?

I grew up in Leicester and recently went back with my son to take him to a show. My word it was rough around the edges when I was a kid but what a shit hole!!! Absolutely lost.

Missed Saffron Lane & Eyres Monsell 2 of the biggest shitholes in the city 😂

I think you missed a few such as Highfields and the New Parks Estate. By the way it is pronounced "Brawn Stun" not "Brawn Stone" you almost made it sound posh...!!!

I live in Leicester, surprised new parks wasn't number 1.

2 stages to St Matthews, the latter opened in the early 70's and I spent half my childhood there after my grandparents moved into a shiny new maisonette. Like the rest of inner city Leicester, it has deteriorated to a new low but many fond memories. Thanks!

This is utter tripe. I am Leicester born and lived in Thurnby for 35 years and Wigston/Aylestone for a while and it was ok. My ex lived on St Mathews for years and they had no problems. I know people who live on Maidstone Rd and they are happy! It's no worse than any other city. I still have a house in Wigston and there is nothing special about that place either. If you look for trouble, you'll find it. I also know people on Gallards Hill and Hand Avenue that are just normal people trying to make a living on next to nothing. Most of the run down estates still have a sense of community and you don't see them crapping on their own doorsteps. I live in North London now and trust me, that is a lot worse with major drugs and guns, often open on the streets. I never felt unsafe anywhere in Leicester even around St Maths and Marks. It's a bit disingenuous to say that about estates without actually meeting the people. I intend to retire back to Leicester, it ain't that bad.

Got mugged in Westcotes few weeks ago. Last few years seems to be getting rougher that’s for sure. Thanks for making the video man

I live in westcotes (sadly) I'm trying to escape but it's so expensive to move. I've personally never been bothered or had any issues but if you're a young woman I'd advise to never walk around here on your own at night.

You ought to go along East Park Road, it’s like Beirut! You wouldn’t believe you’re in England. It frightened us driving along there at lunchtime not so long ago. I said to my husband “Make sure the doors are locked!” Peter Soulsby, the City Mayor ought to spend some money on clearing up these areas, but he likes to build paved areas all over the city centre instead!

Two years ago I revisited Wigston where I lived for 6 months in 2007 as I originally went to Leicester to see the 2022 Grand Prix of darts and I couldn't believe what a boring place it has become.At one point I thought I was in the wrong location and I was only there about an hour.It's just supermarkets, charity shops,betting shops and there were 3 Greggs on one street.I was so bored I just had a quick pint in the Duke of Wigston and that was mainly full of chavs and all the other pubs there was closed down.

There are no bad areas...... Just bad people

That's mad. I would never have thought of Westcotes as dangerous. Lived all over Westcotes for about 15 years. Move there from Rugby and it seemed significantly safer.

When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s Highfields and Northfields were the two notorious areas. Eyres Monsell was also bad. Never thought of Aylestone or Westcotes as being bad back then

Always good to see your local corner shop in a video. And no offence taken! 😂😂😂😂

Leicester is actually a white minority city, which blows my mind honestly

Unforunately Leicester is a highly socially deprived City and there is a lot of poverty. Its all classed as so, except Stoneygate, Knighton and Western Park. Unfortunately the powers that be spend more money on city centre vanity projects than the people and the areas they live in.

It has changed a lot, there was a time where Braunstone especially dodge (court crescent side) was far far worse it had a fair amount of regeneration after the early 2000s. It has really nice parts and you could honestly consider it three main areas (braunstone, braunstone town, dodge) Honestly never really considered Westcoates / Narborough road that bad some parts of it are really nice but I think some parts have gone really far down in the last 15 years. Newparks / Highfields / Mowmacre Hill / Beautmont Leys / Eyres Monsell are the notable exceptions.

The housing is adequate if they were knocked down it would never be fully replaced and the prices would treble to rent. It’s not the housing is the problem it’s the low pay and deliberate lack of work to make the working classes competitive

Thank you for the video! Where are the residents?- the streets are empty ...

I lived in Leicester for many years and always thought that it is a bad place, but I changed my mind when I moved to Stoke-on-Trent. At least Leicester has some nice parks and areas such as Hamilton, Wigston,Knighton are actually quite nice. City centre is vibrant, with good restaurants and cafes.

Lived at the back of Parker Drive, near 'The Blackbird' pub,up to 2006, was a friendly neighbourhood, very mixed but very chilled and in the 5 or 6 year's i was there, few problems, but the shop i worked in was burgled quite regularly 😢

Whats the background song?

Well I live in Loughborough and I come to Leicester regularly. So can’t say if it’s dangerous to be honest with you mate. I have not seen anything dangerous in Leicester especially near St Matthews where you know there is also a female ex workers working in the street at night time. Also stabbing a in Leicester doesn’t happen a lot most likely every now and then unfortunately.

The St Matthew’s area seems to be unusually lacking in discarded sofas in front of the flats, and I think I only saw one Argos kiddies’ trampoline outside one block. Many of the flats don’t seem to have the chavs’ and thugs’ trademark illuminated Reindeer or Santa Claus (usually stolen from Wilko) up on the porch roof or nailed to the pebble-dash, and I’m sure I saw a couple of local residents who were not clad in the finest haute couture from Matalan and Primark (originally nicked from the stores, and then sold on half-price from the stall inside the local ‘Spoons).

I was a former student in Leicester, lived and worked there. And yes it is depressing, ugly and horrible - extremely disgusting city and I thought Birmingham was bad enough. Highfields is another unpleasant area as well that should have been added.as well as Beaumont Leys

I was born here, Beaumont Leys. Any reason why it didn't make the list?

Used to be many tower blocks in the st Matthews Estate

Should visit Milton Keynes, there are a lot of bad estates, Fuller's Slade, Lakes Estate, Fishermead, Netherfield, Tinkers Bridge.

There's almost a uniform whereever you go of the same shop units occupying our amenities: Vape Shops-Barbers-Food Takeaways-Discount Stores-Nail/Beauty 'Parlours'. They really spoil the aesthetics. How on earth are they able to afford business rates and corporation tax?

You didn’t visit Braunstone town, you visited the Hockley Farm estate, and most of what was shown of Aylestone was either Eyres Monsell or Safron lane estates !

Can you do a video about StAlbans please. Cheers.

St Mathew's is 95% Somalian not white braunstone isn't that bad it has its problems like every council estate. I've lived there for 20 yrs . But it all depends on who you are and who knows you . I drive and walk around all the estates day and night with no problems at all . Maybe a nitty begging for a quid 😂

I was once the other side of Aylestone Park so I know some of the areas featured and a bit run down but looks ok and much nicer than some places I lived in the north.

Lived in Braunstone for a while, it was honestly okay… but once the council houses came up in the 60s it went downhill 😢

Interesting video, like most iam surprised you haven't included new parks and Beaumont leys, the are horrid especially Beaumont leys and the city centre is pretty diabolical too. Ive lived in Leicester over 20 years and nearly 10 years of that has. Been spent in Braunstone, i live on the outskirts of the estate know as dodge, where we are it is okay and has a strong sense of community and the people are over all very nice and very Leicester 😂 most the people round where i am are generally over 55 . The problem areas of the estate tend to be in the heart of it around Gallards hill, bendbow rise and Avery hill areas. Its a hotbed of crime and antisocial behaviour. Sadly these problems i feel are caused the the council putting problem people in these areas or simply not dealing with the situation . The homes themselves are well built and have good size gardens, sadly its the people in some of them that bring it down and in the real would a zero tolerance stance should be taken on them. Over all i have found most of the people ive come into contact with over the years of living here to be nice, friendly,honest people who care what's happening to their community and as a hole feel like i do myself, some i would describe as rough diamonds if you like. Like anywhere if you want trouble you can find it.

Lived in Leicester all my life. Don't know how Aylestone made this list, it was the Eyres Monsell estate shown on the video which just about overlaps the Aylestone boundary. Saying that, the Monsell's not a bad area either. Leicester's like everywhere else, good & bad areas. It's the people that matter & Leicester folk are the best!

Really surprised highfields or spinney hill wasnt on there

The worst part about Newfoundpool, is that most houses are privately owned. Meaning terrible landlord practices are a foot!

So sad to see Newfoundpool in such a state... my grandmother grew up there, a poor area but everyone worked hard and you would see an army of women scrubbing their front step every morning. (The thought was that if your front step was dirty, your house would be too.) They may have been poor but had a lot of self-respect and many of their grandchildren did very well in life through the state grammar schools and free universities.

I'm moving to Leicester from the South West and I have walked along Narborough Rd late at night and down towards St. Mathews and as a single woman I have felt less safe in the town down here than in Leicester. Obviously it has its probs but so does even the gentrified areas in the West country like Bath and Salisbury!

Braunstone is divided by Leicester City Council and Braunstone Town Blaby District Council. I live in Braunstone Town and theres nothing wrong there. My partner lives in Westcoates/ Fosse Road South and its not great. Lots of drugs, prostitution and fly tipping central. I was in the army for 12 years and based in Windsor/London and when i returned to Leicester in 2000 I was astounded how crap it had got to be honest.

As someone born in Leicester over sixty years ago, now living abroad, I remember Leicester had a reputation of being a very clean town and Braunston being solidly middle-class. What happened?

I lived in westcotes for 8 years, can't say i'm rushing to move back there from the depths of the leicestershire countryside However Aylestone Road is much nicer than the extended "town" of its namesake, few mates live there and gets progressively nicer as you get towards the city centre

Some parts of Braunstone and narbrough road is known and named locally as ‘dodge’

I lived in Leicester from 2008 - 2014 and never had a problem, lovely place. Resided in Spinney Hills, Highfields near to Viccy Park, city centre & Aylestone Road. Moved to the Suffolk coast. The only blot on Suffolks landscape is the delightful swirling cesspit of filth called Ipswich that has all the charm of a sewage works on hot summers day.

I used to live in Leicester years ago in the newfoundpool area, I recently moved back to Leicester last year (Victoria Park area) and I love it here. I moved from the city of Bristol, now that has even worse areas than Leicester!!.

Braunstone is pronounced “Braunstun”. Aylestone is quite posh too. Obvs stats can say a lot. You didn’t mention Beaumont Leys or Northfields or the Saff.

Holy crap this was grim!

I currently live in westcotes after moving to Leicester for University and ended up staying here with my boyfriend… I CANT WAIT TO MOVE HOME. We have a homeless man that lives under our stair case in our block and outside our window is a little dark corner and is obviously a hot spot for dealers and people shooting up, especially now the pub opposite has closed. Security changed our locks one day while we were at work due to a kidnap so we had to drive to their office to get new keys. We’re more on the back of Narborough road though so 🥳

Oh and just one more thing.... If you're just going to look at these estates and run down areas of course it's going to look shitty, this does not show the whole of Leicester, they're are some beautiful places and areas. I'm very upset about your depiction of my great city.

I worked in the city centre for five years back in the 70's. Nothing seems to have changed.

Aylestone isn't actually that bad at all. The neighbouring Saffron Lane and Eyres Monsell estates are much worse.

As someone who moved to Leicester after living in Oxford & previously Bath, after growing up South of London being born in Guildford, I can say that there is poverty & crime in Leicester, however there is also crime & poverty everywhere else. There are also affluent areas of Leicester & some of the most diverse multicultural shopping & restaurants here than other places I've lived. Having worked as a delivery cyclist over lockdown, & after I also got to know Leicester & all its areas very well. The person who made this video is obviously not from here. Walking around an estate you don't know anything about commenting about the architecture is ridiculous. There are far worse areas than St. Matthew's in Leicester. I've also seen far worse crime in Bath & Oxford. You get crime everywhere, just because some estates have a lot of refugees nowadays like St. Matthews, doesn't mean it is less safe than other English areas. If you want to know anything about Leicester come to the city & enjoy & appreciate the history & the art & rich culture of the place instead of wandering around estates you don't know anyone. As someone from Leicester I always felt perfectly safe cycling around St. Matthews & even had an art studio there for a few years & was perfectly safe at night. I never saw any crime there. There are loads of other places that are more dangerous I won't write a long list. I can talk about more cases of people I know being attacked & robbed in expensive Oxford or Bath. If you really want to know about a place, go there yourself & stay with friends who know the place. There's so much history to Leicester now around the cathedral & museum & lots of beautiful architecture if you know where to look.

New parks is booming. Only 1 murder in last 4 weeks

I used to live in ST Mathews in 70s was a very nice peaceful estate and totally safe. 🇬🇧

seems a bit out of place to see a 95K electric PORSCHE TAYCAN 4S 93KWH on that estate 1:00

You are incorrect. St Matthews - they are mainly 2 storey maisonettes.

No mention of Highfields?

Braunstone: The area shown on your map was Braunstone Town - reasonable housing, low crime. The area you filmed was Braunstone Park - not so good housing (don't know about crime)

Love the knock-off Boots Pharmacy at 02:00

Beautiful cat

How come Highfields never got a mention?

Amazed Beaumont leys, saffron lane, eyres monsell, stocking farm and new parks wasn’t in this. Grew up in New Parks by the way

I’m so surprised newparks wasn’t on the list, there been murders, and there’s always a smell of weed. I don’t go out after dark too scared. My mobility car got damaged and I called the police told them were a couple of the affenders lived, but police said they couldn’t find them.

Makes me glad i come from derby. I never warmed to lesta or Birmingham in the Midlands.