Son living in London

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Can anyone put my mind at rest please...my 24 year old son has moved to East London for a graduate job and i am terrified he will come to harm...he grew up in Norfolk so not used to gangs..stabbings etc...he lives near Whitechapel/Limehouse area.

I moved to London on my own a few weeks after turning 16, from abroad. Lived there for a few years until I moved again for work.

I never once encountered a problem with gangs or stabbings. Is not something people who grow up in London are 'used to'. And I was near a very dodgy area of the SE postcodes.

I can't comment on Whitechapel/Limehouse specifically, but the normal sensible stuff applies. Keep your belongings safe/out of sight especially in the evenings, stay in a group if drunk...

Is he living alone or housesharing? He'll probably meet some people soon and they'll teach him whatever he doesn't know yet. Try not to worry, he'll be fine!

Thank you...he's in a houseshare...in his job he is expected to socialise and i worry about him getting the tube late at night...his office is near Bank tube station but the nearest near his home is Shadwell.. he also walks to his gym in Limehouse....I literally can't sleep for worrying and yet he is having the time of his life.

There are loads of young people of that age living in London. My DD1 lived in a house share until she moved in with her DP in 2017. DD2 is 23 and lives in a house share and is living her best life. We come from a rural Scottish town and I am glad to see them having a fabulous time in a big city with all it can offer. Please don't worry. He will be fine.

He'll be just fine! London is generally safe and he's a 24 year old man

You do realise thousands of young people live in London and don’t come to any harm, right? Crime can happen anywhere, even in Norfolk. I moved to London from a small town and I’d never go back to where I grew up. I’ve lived here 8 years now and yet to be stabbed, despite living near some pretty dodgy estates. Unless you’re involved with drugs and gang life you’re very unlikely to be caught up in related crimes. London isn’t some hellscape with terrorists and knife-wielding maniacs on every corner.

Oh my goodness! You sound like you've never left Norfolk OP! I really wouldn't worry! He's 24 and in a house-share. Where did he go to uni? Surely you were worried about that as well?

Gangs aren't interested in anyone who's not part of another gang. The tube or DLR (which he'll be getting from Bank) is super safe. Limehouse has some dodgy parts same as everywhere but it's also home to a beautiful stretch of the Thames Path and Ian McKellen (and his pub!) lives there.

If you can’t sleep for worrying maybe make an appointment to see your GP. But to reassure you in the meantime I promise it’s not a dodgy area at all. Around Whitechapel is teeming with students because of Queen Mary University and Bart’s medical school. Limehouse is actually quite swish and popular with finance types that work in the city and Canary Wharf. I’ve lived all over that area, never encountered a gang, never seen a stabbing and felt perfectly safe walking from the tube after dark as long as I stuck to the road and didn’t take the short cut along the canal tow path .

Same. My son moved to London 6 months ago. Posh part. Shires boy. He loves it but I worry. He is not street smart. However luckily not a drinker and 6'6"" so hopefully not a target. I would always encourage him to get a taxi home etc. They do come home, I did x

I totally get your worry, but just to slightly reassure you - I moved from a small Midlands town to London when l was 17 - I lived there for 20 years, North, East, South, West - I got (very) drunk. A lot. I had one night stands, walked home late at night etc etc, i'm not boasting, but did all these things, as an attractive female, and thankfully, touch wood etc, never came to any harm - not even mugged. So, yes, London appears big and scary, but actually is a fairly safe city. It's even more gentrified now - so safer still. Be glad your son is broadening hi mind by living in a big city - and try not to worry (but as a parent, that would happen anywhere!) Best wishes.

He’ll be having an amazing time! I moved to that area at 21 and I still work in Whitechapel. I’ve been in London 14 years now and I’m raising my family here. It’s brilliant and you have nothing to worry about. Yes there is knife crime, yes there are gangs but generally unless your son gets himself involved in shady goings on this will not affect him whatsoever.

I lived in London for 36 years and I wasn't stabbed once.

Went to Norfolk once, got flashed at.

Go figure.

OP, East London is trendy and popular these days. Limehouse and Shadwell are nothing like they used to be before the DLR. Gang crime is almost exclusively conducted between gangs so if your son is not involved then please don't worry about it on a "random attack" level.

Millions of perfectly ordinary people - myself included - live in London and go about our business every day without ever encountering gangs or stabbings. It really isn’t a terrifying wasteland with criminals lurking round every corner waiting to stab you. Yes, there are gang issues, but your son is very unlikely to be caught up in them - the stabbings/shootings are usually revenge killings between rival gangs (which is clearly still appalling, but random members of the public are generally unlikely to be affected).

In short, please don’t worry.

Thank you all for your comments...he went to uni in Canterbury and lived in a dodgy area but i didn't worry so much about him there.
I will try to chill out a bit...thank you all again x

I completely understand your concerns, as a mother too..... I work in London, understand London demographic & crime. He will be absolutely fine, but, he just needs to be aware not to put himself in vulnerable situations. Pissed as arse holes, walking down a dark alley, waving his Rolex (if he has one), talking on his phone (new IPhone) or withdrawing £200 cash from ATM. In contrast, he is going to have the time of his life, amazing opportunity, culture & diversity in bucket loads and all he needs to do is embrace everything an amazing diverse city has to offer. You too, get down here, visit and enjoy his happiness.

You really need to address this excessive anxiety op. If 9 million people can live in London I think your son can too.

I grew up in London and moved into my own place at 18, so long as he isn’t an idiot and gets a cab home if he gets too pissed and needs to get home alone he’ll be absolutely fine

He definately doesn't have a Rolex...he's got 5 years of studying to pay off...he is completely skint lol...he did get his phone snatched from him on the way to work a few weeks ago though...by a cyclist......he was lucky the mugger dropped his phone and he got it back but its taught him a valuable lesson.

I'm inclined to worry much more about your mental health than his safety!

9 million people live in London, how many do you think have been stabbed?

It’s not all murder/crime on London streets.

I'm an east-Londoner, I know the area you mention very well. I can confirm I've never been stabbed, mugged, anything else. As far as I know any gang crime is only within/between gangs. Your son will be fine! (There's some great food options around his area btw!)

Oh, OP. My son went to school 250 miles from home (Down South) and most of his school friends lived in and around London. He was going to parties in London from 15/16.

He is my shining, wondrous, fabulous, beautiful, PFB star - but I still just shut my brain to it even when he was that age.

I'm afraid that's what we have to do. There is always MN to vent on!

I live in a rough part of London and have never had any trouble, gangs are only concerned with other gang members so not sure why that would concern you 😕