Terrified Aussie woman says she’s leaving London for good and claims violent crime has ruined the city: ‘I don’t know why anyone would stay’

A terrified young woman explains why she is leaving crime-ridden London for good and returning to the safety of Australia.

Emily Brogan says she ‘loves London’ but the city has become ‘too prickly’ lately.

She decided to leave after an 11-month stay because a number of terrifying events took place that hit too close to home.

Her fears are shared by many others who have left London as street crime and high living costs plague the city.

Emily, who has 23 million likes on TikTok, explained that her neighbor was robbed while standing just a few feet from her front door.

The woman was taking out the trash when a man walked past her, found her handbag on her bed and walked back outside with it.

“It was literally stolen when she was three feet from her front door,” she said.

Originally from Brisbane, Emily moved to London to experience the vibrant city culture she had heard so much about, but claims the crime there puts a damper on things.

On the same day her neighbor was robbed, Emily’s friend, who lives just a quarter mile away, had her phone stolen.

“It was one o’clock in the morning when two men on a bicycle came by and stole her bike,” she said.

And it happened to her too.

“I feel so anxious, even now that I live in London. My phone has been stolen twice since last summer, and my bag too, and I haven’t been the same since,” she said.

At first Emily thought she was being paranoid, but she now realises that ‘no one feels safe in the city anymore’. Other Australians have warned travellers to stay away from London, as street crime and the cost of living spiral out of control.

The once great British capital is now being criticised as ‘unsafe’ by seasoned travellers, with even Brits taking to social media to say the multicultural city no longer feels like home.

The young Australian’s neighbour was robbed while standing ‘one metre’ from her own front door. Her friend was robbed the same day by two men on bicycles.

And police statistics show the city’s decline is more than “a feeling”: a phone is stolen every six minutes in the city, with 8,500 stolen in January alone.

A young woman took to TikTok to express her dismay at the decline of London and mourn the city she grew up in and called home a few years ago.

In 2023 alone, 1.2 million migrants arrived in the UK, according to official figures, with many moving to London, pushing up rents and leaving people homeless.

“This is the worst situation I have ever experienced in my life in the city,” she said.

According to the woman, Londoners pay ‘drills’ to live there and face violent crime ‘right on’ their doorstep.

Others were quick to agree that the city in distress “will destroy itself within ten years.”

‘I moved to Spain and didn’t realise how bad London was until I left. It’s hell. Get out,’ another woman urged.

London residents are warning people to stay away due to the cost of living and a spike in crime. Every six minutes a phone is snatched from someone’s hand, pocket or bag, with 8,500 stolen in January alone (stock image)

“I was born and raised in London and my God it takes its toll,” agreed a third.

Even regular visitors have had enough of the city.

“I’ve been here for almost seven years. I’m ready to leave now. Especially after the pandemic, it doesn’t feel quite the same,” one woman said on Reddit.

Another Londoner said he has called the city home for six years and has settled mainly in the wealthier areas to stay out of trouble. But even there, trouble has become unsafe.

‘I’ve lived in what people call the best/richest areas of London and crime is so rampant here. It’s not even a joke and it’s more and more prevalent these days. I hear police passing my house every day now, whereas before it was only once a fortnight,’ he complained.

He added that his house had recently been broken into, proving that crime is now also appearing on the wealthier streets.

A Melbourne Redditor who calls himself “pretty smart” and claims he “hasn’t lost a valuable possession in 30 years” had his phone stolen while waiting for an Uber at London’s Gatwick Airport.

The thief arrived on a moped, bumped into the man and snatched his phone from his hand.

“I still don’t know how to express my disappointment about this situation, and the depth of my sense of loss and anger,” the Australian tourist said.

Moped gangs are everywhere in the city. Every day, hundreds of moped gangs seize the devices of people walking through the streets.

A young woman took to TikTok to express her frustrations over London’s steep decline and mourn the city she grew up in. “I think this is the worst thing the city has ever seen in my life,” she said (stock image)

A woman who grew up in the city felt for the man — and for the other 100,000 people whose phones are taken away every year.

“Every time I walked out onto the street I felt constant fear, so I left and my mental health improved immediately,” she said.

Returning visitors are also postponing their plans to return.

‘I couldn’t wait to get back to London when the world opened up – but the reality was terrifying. I was told not to talk to strangers, keep my phone out of sight and be vigilant at all times,’ added one Australian woman.

“I’m in London now, visiting. If I had to live here, it would be fatal,” said one tourist.

‘I went there recently and was terrified. So many scary incidents in London! And I’m a seasoned traveller who rarely gets into trouble,’ added one woman.

Violent crime in the city is linked to rising living costs, which are crippling the population, research from the London School of Economics has found.

When the cost of living rose 10 percent, the number of reported crimes increased 8 percent, school data shows.

The high cost of living in the city is another reason people are advised to stay away.

“Inflation has hit the UK much harder than Australia, and so far Australia appears to be slowly sliding into recession while the UK is taking a big dive,” warned one Australian in London on Reddit.

Others were quick to agree, with one London resident who estimated that his grocery bill had increased by 30-50 percent over the past two years, his rent by 10-15 percent, his lunch costs by 30 percent and his transport costs by 10 percent.

But his salary had only increased by eight percent.

Despite the alarming testimonies of many, other Australians said London is still a city they are drawn to.

“I love living here, I travel a lot and am always relieved when I come back,” said one woman.

‘I moved from Australia to London and was able to be myself for the first time in my life. It’s amazing,’ said another.

One Australian who has no regrets about his move said: ‘I’ve lived here for 20 years and every time I cross one of the central bridges over the Thames my heart skips a beat.’

Others urged people to “get to know the city for themselves” before “getting lost in crime stories and hysteria.”