We live in England's safest villages – we leave our doors UNLOCKED & can't remember the last time there was a crime | The Sun

RESIDENTS living in England’s safest villages say they leave their doors unlocked and can’t even remember the last time a crime was committed.

Police figures have revealed that the Cheshire villages of Hightown, Mossley and Timbersbrook have tiny amounts of crime.

The villages just outside Congleton saw just 18 offences, all anti-social behaviour, last year making them the safest places in the UK.

Villagers admit "it's a dream" to live there and said it is "unusually safe" and opera singer Russell Watson is a resident.

Retired airline pilot Martin Goodwin, 66, who lives in Mossley, said: "It's a fantastic place to live.

"It's really quiet and safe.

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"There's been no burglaries where we live.

"There's been a bit of pilfering over the years but that was about it.

"I left my car door open and someone rifled through the glove box but didn't take anything.

"In fact the most serious thing I saw was someone got into a man's car which was open and he tried to steal his wife's coat.

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"There was a bit of a tussle over it and then the thief ran off.

"But there was no fighting or anything. It was very low-key."

One grandmother, pushing her grandson in a pram, said: "My husband's golf clubs were stolen from his car.

"Mind you that was 30 years ago but he's still upset about it."

Christine Lafferty, 78, said she has never experienced any crime although thinks someone tried to break into her house 15 years ago. 

The mum-of-two said: "I had left a window slightly open when I went to the shops.

"I came back and it was more fully open.

"You hardly hear of any crime never mind see it.

"I think someone had tried to climb into the house, but we had a Rottweiler dog and I think he must have scared them off.

"Nothing was taken that's for sure."

Mossley and Hightown are neighbouring villages.

The former has a golf course, large houses, a village school and village hall.

Hightown has a post office, a handful of shops and two pubs.

Timbersbrook is even smaller with fewer houses.

Last year fewer crimes were committed in the villages than anywhere else in England and Wales with just three offences for every 1,000 residents.

Dad-of-two Martin Hodgson, 67, who was walking his dog in Mossley, said: "It's a great place to live.

"It doesn't surprise me it's the safest place to live.

"You hardly hear of any crime never mind see it.

It's a lovely place to live and is really safe

"I think there might have been some anti-social behaviour once by some teenagers under the railway bridge, but that's about it."

The only serious crime that anyone in the area can remember is an attempted robbery at Hightown Post Office but that was foiled by the postmistress.

A man in a motorbike helmet armed with a hammer came into the post office in February 2020 and demanded cash from postmistress Jane Bostock.

Jane, 56, told The Sun: "He had put me in a headlock and then showed me a plastic bag and shouted: 'Fill this up'.

"I pushed him off and then he raised his hammer and said: 'Do it or I'll hit you with this.'

I've been in the pubs round here and not even heard raised voices never mind any trouble

"So then I said: 'If you hit me, I'll hit you with this', and I raised my fist.

"I wasn't going to take any nonsense and then I chased him out of the shop."

The farmer's wife added: "He then ran outside and I asked if people had seen him.

"I wasn't scared at the time but now I'm a bit wary of people coming into the post office wearing helmets.

"But that is just about the most serious crime round here.

"It's a lovely place to live and is really safe.

"There's a lovely community spirit and even our local celebrity Russell Watson does his bit.

"He even judged windows when they were decorated for the Coronation".

Dad-of-one Samuel Brownsword, 30, moved to Hightown just a few months ago from Ancoats which is just outside Manchester city centre.

He said: "It's a bit different from Manchester but it's a lovely place, especially to bring up kids.

“I've been in the pubs round here and not even heard raised voices never mind any trouble.”

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