[essexgirl]

Hey

A big concern for my family and i and a very high factor of wanting to leave the UK is crime. We live in Essex which is about 30 mins from London.

I live in what used to be a small village most people knew each other went about thier daily business while looking out for each other and just getting on with things. NOW it is a horrible trap where you are scared to go out scared to stay in on a weekly basis the police helicopter is over, we then lock everything down and hope and pray there are no shots fired. We have 8 year old kids walking around on the street with knives being part of gangs. We have a dog that cant stay in or own back garden for fear of someone jumping over the 6 foot wall and talking him and we cant walk is right outside our home beacuse he and my mother have been attacked on several occasions by other dogs of thier leads while there owners watch.
I do not feel safe going out past dark and even in the day there attacks in the street. If you break down no one will stop and help you a. because no one cares b.because everyone is too scared of what you might have in your car c. most people are drunk or on drugs so have no idea of whats going on around them.
There is absolutly no respect in most of this country policeman are half scared most of the time, firefighters are attacked whilst putting out fires by local yobs and ambulance crew have life saving equipment stolen whilst tyring to save lifes. All police and ambulance crew wear stab vests.

Of course all of these things dont happen every single day but happen often enough to make you scared and not want to live your life to the full. I should be able to walk down the street where i have lived for all of my life and not feel scared but i do.

Thats without the general threat of going to a shopping centre, on a train and walking around a city that you are going to be blown up.

Please tell me people of this forum that New Zealand is far removed from this awful island i am living on. I think it is from what i have read but you cant know better than from the people that are living there.

thanks