THE TIDE OF LAWLESSNESS THREATENING NORTH-EAST ENGLAND IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. REGIONAL TV BROADCASTERS SAY NOTHING

27^th January 2026

A TIDE OF LAWLESSNESS AND A MASS INFLUX FROM THE SOUTH THREATENS TO DESTROY NORTHERN COMMUNITIES- WITH THEIR FRIENDLY, SELFLESS AND DISTINCTIVE UNIQUENESS- FOREVER. NO-ONE IS BEING TOLD, FAR LESS ADVISED HOW THEY MIGHT FIGHT BACK TO PRESERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES- OR TO RELOCATE

Dear Readers

There are large-scale Political, legal, and demographic situations in the UK that spell potential disaster for the friendly, distinctive Northumbrian communities that spread from Tyneside northwards to the Scottish Border. Violent crime is increasing at an alarming rate- a significant proportion of which is committed by those who have been born and bred in lands hostile to the UK and our way of life: Immigration remains largely unchecked.  Mixing up- with folk coming from the South- has also eroded the distinctive dialects, friendliness, warmth, and community spirit that has historically marked out Northumbrian, rural Durham, and north Cumberland communities. Global Warming has resulted in milder winters and much less snow in the Northern hills compared to the hard winter spells of yesteryear that helped to inspire awe and respect of the North for those who lived here- and those who visited. Cold winters used to encourage communities to come together, the weak and vulnerable looked-out for. Increasingly the weak, the mentally ill and vulnerable are neglected, shunned, and spat upon.

These are developments that are serious and most unwelcome for those who care about their Northumbrian communities. When homeless alcoholics are murdered, when retired businessmen in South Shields with Halloween light-displays raising money for charity have their property burgled and the light-displays destroyed, when sacred trees that are hundreds of years old and which are major tourist attractions are chopped down by vandals in the Northumbrian countryside, and when schoolgirls are knifed to death on the streets of a Northumbrian market-town- born and bred Northumbrians are right to be aghast- and increasingly alarmed. All of this- and more has happened in Tyneside and Northumberland in the last few years.

And given the political, legal, and demographic situations governing the UK, these frightful trends affecting this beautiful Northern corner of England are set to get worse in coming years!

Yet who, just who is joining the dots and noting that something is going very wrong with the English North-East- and reporting on the large-scale developments that are happening in plain sight? These are changes that folk across the Region need to be informed of, and then informed of the sharp, corrective action they can take to preserve their Region in the face of a potentially violent, destructive onslaught so that they can preserve their way of life? It’s one thing to just report violent crimes as they happen; quite another to dig deep and try to report on the underlying causes, reasons and factors giving rise to it and suggesting practical solutions for folk.

A Political and Legal Crisis leading to a Public Safety Crisis spreading North and West

Broadcast Media should be free from political bias, and it should report facts as they are. However, if either local or national Government is pursuing policies that are clearly harmful and fail the most fundamental role of Government- that of protecting the citizenry under their remit- it’s in the Public interest for broadcasters to report on it.  Whilst most folk living in North-East England have traditionally supported Labour, understandably because the region has been deprived of funds for Public investment over the years there is still a case for reporting on proposals and actions by this current Labour Government when these would put more folk at risk. Uncontrolled mass immigration (which started under the last Conservative Government and has continued under Labour) is a case in point, as are policies of letting violent criminals out of jail early to ease over-crowding. But over the last 18 months, people have also been jailed for tweets about Muslims whilst the Courts let off- with just probation- violent thugs who put people in hospital.

This does not protect the Public; it does the opposite because there are certain things that Northern folk living in Tyneside and Northumberland might be concerned about that they dare not discuss for fear of censure. Meanwhile there is less deterrence against gangs of teenagers smashing up town-centres, shoplifters, violent robbers, or wife-beaters.

If any Government pursues policies that clearly puts millions of folk at risk, especially if they live in built-up areas, it is in the Public interest of Northumbrians to be warned about it, and even told that this is bad government. That is nothing to do with political bias, any Government whether Labour or Conservative that does not make the Protection of it’s citizens and the Defence of the Realm a top priority is bad. If a Labour or Conservative MP gets caught spying for the Chinese and the Russians it would be headline news- Why? Because it is in the Public Interest for British people to know that one or more of their representatives is putting them at risk by doing this. Letting thousands of dangerous criminals out of jail, failing to get to grips with boatloads of undocumented illegal immigrants from lands hostile to the UK, all this falls into the same sort of category. If any Government pursued a policy of slashing the Police budget or axing Britain’s nuclear deterrent it is in the Public Interest for broadcasters to report on this as a dangerous development- whether it comes from a Socialist, Liberal or Libertarian Government. There are minimum statutory functions that all Governments worthy of the name must absolutely provide, that are non-negotiable, and Defence of the Realm is up there.

The preservation of Democracy, which Britons fought and died for in their millions in the two World Wars is also non-negotiable for any Government worthy of the name. Yet we have a Government which has people arrested and jailed for posting tweets criticising mass-immigration or Muslims, whilst allowing pop-singers and the organisers of hate marches to chant “Death to the Jews”- and the Police do nothing. We have a Government that allows councils to postpone local elections on the pre-text of avoiding a bit of extra administration. This is bad Government, and broadcasters need to gain the courage to speak truth to power- and to explain to voters just exactly what is going on.

Voters need to Be Warned that this Labour Government could be Bad for their Health

The current Labour Government- which is far from the previous Labour Government under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (that was a democratic Labour Government that did not allow councils to postponer elections or have people arrested for “wrongspeak”). If the present Labour Government is allowed to remain in power by the electorate, weak punishments for violent criminals, continued immigration and multiculturalism, combined with a measure of autocracy (let us call it what it is) will continue. Gangs of yobs, shoplifters, and muggers will continue to terrorise communities in built-up areas and such crime will entrench in those areas. Today, the vast majority of violent assaults lead to the Police not even bothering to arrest the perpetrator- let alone for that assault to lead to a conviction and custodial sentence for the perpetrator! If the 6 ft perpetrators are in their teens, the Police and the Courts have a policy of not arresting and imprisoning them! Small wonder that gangs of youths terrorise and devastate communities, but woe betide the father protecting his kids who fights back and breaks the jaw of one of them in self-defence. He is not only likely to have his windows put in and be beaten up by the yob’s friends- but he is then likely to get arrested by the Police and charged with violence against a minor!

A Growing Wave of Lawlessness

This situation is a national crisis of rising violent lawlessness in the United Kingdom, though being so far north and largely rural in nature the English North-East has- until recently- largely escaped its effects. That is now changing. English citizens- especially if they are alone, a lady or a small man- now have to accept that certain urban areas are off-limits, especially after dark and at weekends for their own safety. The law will not protect them if they are attacked, and there are no Police on the beat to deter would-be perpetrators. This state-of-affairs once described parts of major cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester, it now describes parts of Sunderland, Middlesbrough or the West End of Newcastle. And these problems are spreading northwards and westwards- into towns like Hexham in the Tyne Valley, as far as Carlisle to the west and northwards into Cramlington, Morpeth and Alnwick. 

In December 2023, there were a spate of break-ins of local shops with robbers trying to steal cash-machines- across Weardale in the Durham Pennines- in St John’s Chapel, in Stanhope, and in Frosterley (https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23977729.shortage-cash-attempts-steal-weardale-machines/). Such things were almost unheard of once, but this change to more frequent violent crime and thefts is real and alarming. Yet these trends are not being picked up by reporters and broadcasters, local people are not being told that their communities are becoming more dangerous (they are), and they are not being advised what steps they need to take to keep themselves, their families and communities safe.

There are countless surveys done that show that crime is not rising in the North, but they tend only to measure reported crime. If folk have given up on the Police to protect them, or folk fear reprisals if they do go to the Police they will not report it- much violence done to citizens is not reported and therefore it does not show up on crime statistics. But it’s real enough and it is increasing. Middlesbrough, even from official reports, is now shown to be of the most dangerous places to live in the country (link here: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-crime-figures-map-30950621). According to the interactive map associated with this article, published in Newcastle’s Evening Chronicle in February 2025, Middlesbrough has 166 reported offences per 1,000 people (that is one in six folk being burgled, beaten up or robbed in a year). Hartlepool has 141 offences per 1,000 people (one in seven folk) and Newcastle-upon-Tyne itself 118 offences per 1,000 people (one in eight people).

The true picture is undoubtedly worse because not everyone has the courage to report violence done against them: If this is what is reported over a year, for someone living in a large North-East England town or city over ten years it becomes odds-on that you will be assaulted, burgled or both at least once over that period. This is now a fact: Unless you are big and burly, and well able to take care of yourself, it is no longer safe for you to live in the middle of Sunderland or Newcastle. And this situation is likely to get worse in the next few years. The blunt truth is this: Living in a city, even in North-East England could well be harmful to your health- and not just because of pollution. This is not actually being reported on in any documentaries or news-reports, least of all in Northumberland and North Tyneside where folk might want to try and preserve their communities, and what makes their communities welcoming and special.

There’s No Guarantee of a Change of Government to One that will Protect the People after 2029      

Alas, the current political situation, the current Legal System and the demographic changes from immigration (of folk from lands whose governments are hostile to the UK) means that the wave of violent lawlessness exploding in parts of Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Tyneside will get worse- and it will spread out into the rural areas. It is imperative that folk are advised to vote this Government out of office, not because it is Socialist or Left Wing- but because Protection of the citizenry takes a distant third-place to bribery of the citizenry to vote for more generous benefits at the next Election.  Folk in Tyneside and Northumberland have traditionally voted Labour on the basis that Labour- in Government- looks out to protect the poor and vulnerable, for women and disabled people. This Labour Government is not doing that, it is starving the Police of funds and not demanding them to prioritise the safety of citizens (but going after people who say unpleasant things about Muslims), and this Labour Government is letting out of jail violent thugs, sex-offenders and robbers who would do harm to the vulnerable.

Northumbrians who watch Regional TV, BBC Look North or ITV News Tyne Tees, need those broadcasters to warn them about bad Government and advise viewers accordingly. Folk need to be inured against considering Labour given what they are doing to Public safety and to British Democracy. But under the guise of being “Politically Neutral”, and because the BBC is institutionally Left-Wing, it is unlikely that there will be any broadcasting or news to warn people off voting “Labour” ahead of the next Election.

Of the alternatives, Reform UK, and the Tories (perhaps together in coalition after the next Election) there may be hope that they will pursue policies to protect this country. However, there is a strong Left-Wing Press that will try and dig up all kinds of dirt and produce “Sleaze Scoops” to damage Reform UK and/ or the Conservative Party ahead of the next Election. They will then advise voters to vote tactically for whichever Left-Wing Party in their constituency would be best-placed to “Keep Reform UK and the Tories out”. So, Labour might become very unpopular, and lose many Seats, but still cling on to power with the help of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and Scottish Nationalists!  It is conceivable that the Liberal Democrats might encourage Labour to go in a more Democratic direction, but neither the Liberal Democrats nor the Green Party are likely to be a real check on the ultra-soft-on-violent-crime make-up of the current Labour Party.

All this means that if the Left are not completely removed from power after the next Election, increasingly large parts of North-East England will become unpleasant and unsafe to live in and raise a family in in ways that have not been seen before. Folk will need to find a way of effectively protecting themselves, their families, and their property- or if that proves impossible- of moving to safety.

Measures to Protect One’s Family and Community, or Moving in the early 2030’s.

If Labour remains in power after the next General Election, expected at the latest by August 2029, it is likely they will be in Coalition with the Green Party and Liberal Democrats. This will have implications for Public Safety for communities across North-East England. Broadcasters need to be aware of the trends and to prepare their viewers accordingly.

The changes in this scenario are liable to involve a wholesale loss of community cohesion, the warmth and friendliness that once characterised Northumbrian communities, vital Public services are liable to continue to decline largely because Liberal Left Wing Governments spend money on the wrong things and raise funds from to narrow a tax base (the wealthy, who can flee the area or stop working if overtaxed) if they run into fiscal difficulty. If National Bankruptcy and Recession bites libraries will close, special schools will close, roads will have grass growing out of them and, of course, there will be no Police. Inner city estates will become urban jungles and with no deterrence gangs, a number from vicious Asian cultures along others home-grown, will run amok on the streets with machetes. These streets will be full of vandalised shops and homes, increasing numbers derelict because the inhabitants and business-owners will have fled, and the derelict buildings used as drug dens, places for gangs to meet and stash weapons. This is the future for estates like Byker and Scotswood in Newcastle, assuming that the electorate cannot vote out the current appalling Government headed by Sir Keir Starmer.

So, communities in the North-East of England need to be advised how they can (legally) fight back. The first thing that needs to happen is that folk need to join their local council with fighting violent crime and antisocial behaviour to be at the forefront of their minds. Folk need to form Neighbourhood Watch groups or join existing Neighbourhood Watch groups locally and meet to discuss ways of self-policing their communities so that yobs and thugs are identified and apprehended. Folk need to be advised to join Self-Defence classes, carry personal attack-alarms if out and about, and learn to use a trusty pen to protect themselves in case they are attacked. If one lives in a built-up area folk need to be advised to go out and about in two’s, avoid late-night buses or trams but get a taxi instead to get home. If folk can afford it they should buy a guard dog to protect their home. All of these are practical steps for staying safe and for helping to keep communities safe.

Alas, the Police are liable to arrest anyone who uses violence to stop yobs blighting their communities (even when the Police themselves refuse to arrest the yobs), and the Police are likely to close-down set-up Community Groups that meet out any violence to thugs, however much misery the thugs cause in the community. Yes folks, this is what Northumbrian communities will have to contend with- Police who won’t arrest yobs and thugs terrorising one’s community, but they will come down very hard on you if you get with your friends to confront and sort out the yobs and thugs yourself. Two-tier policing at it’s finest, under this Labour Government the Police are worse than useless in that they actively protect criminals from irate law-abiding citizens!  But do not expect a documentary called Are the Police Policing Justly and Fairly to come to a TV-screen near you in the near-future!

Real Strategies To Fight for Your Northumbrian Community That Broadcasters Never Mention…Let Alone Advise

Moving home and leaving a region that has given one identity, which one has strong attachment and connections, and of which one has such proud memories would be a wrench- and this is so true for proud Northumbrians. If it is possible to find a way for your community to come together, to fight to preserve what made it special and to preserve that real sense of Northern community found nowhere else in England, folk should do so. If you are a man of reasonable stature, and/ or have other friends who are of reasonably strong stature it is worth fighting the appalling wave of lawlessness spreading North with increasing numbers from cultures totally foreign to North East England who are hostile to national and Regional interests- you should do your utmost within the confines of the law to stay and preserve your community.

Northumbrian folk have seen no Regional News or documentary about the Wave of Lawlessness spreading out of the cities and northwards across the country, far less any advice on how they fight organise to counteract it. But Northumbrian folk need such advice, which they could do with seeing here.

Christianity has an Important Role

Christianity, specifically an increase in the knowledge that there is a God who will punish wrongdoing would help stem the tide. If one has faith, and lives in a Northumbrian community, it is good to share the Christian tenets of kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, looking out for the poor and vulnerable with friends and neighbours, especially if this helps you.  Imparting these values into others and making folk wary of divine consequence of lashing out, of violence, of taking revenge, helps to stem the tide of lawlessness, violence, and selfishness. Alas, this is liable to be disapproved of by broadcasters, who would fear for losing their jobs if they ever went down this road. However, Christianity has stood this far Northern corner of England in good stead over the centuries, underpinning our laws, customs, families and communities. These ideas can be promoted, and they certainly should be.

If one is alone, feels vulnerable and otherwise lacks the courage to talk about faith then joining a church and finding Christian friends can be a wonderful way of facilitating lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of falling victim to crime. Christians, with a faith in God and who store importance in looking out for others will happily go with you when you are out and about, they will be a sympathetic ear and provide support and help if one is in trouble or is being threatened. Yobs and thugs tend not to go for people who are together, but for people who “look a bit weird” who are weaker and who are by themselves.

Sharing one’s faith, going to church, and finding Christian friends will help stem the tide of violent lawlessness if more folk adhere to these values, but it is not going to suffice on its own. Getting into Neighbourhood Watch schemes and, if one can, patrolling local areas and reporting thugs and yobs to the Police but remaining within the law will also not really suffice given the likely extent of the selfish, violent underclass spilling out of the cities, and the numbers arriving in the North East of England from the South (amongst them immigrants) who have little interest in or regard for local needs, cares or customs. There is a need for these folk to feel the full force of the law- but that is not happening.

Mass Protests Against the Police and the Judiciary May Be Necessary

This is going to be a time for whole communities to come together- especially if they come under siege from the violent yobbery blighting them. This is when the full Power of Protest comes to the fore.  Folk can write to their local Police Chiefs but that seldom cuts the mustard with the institutional code “Must be Nice to the Muslims. Must Be Nice to Teenagers” that has infiltrated the likes of Northumbria Police. The Police will only really take notice when communities really come out to express their displeasure at Police turning a blind eye to violent yobbery and thuggery and at the same time are coming down especially hard on anyone who might take matters into their own hands.

This means groups of up to one hundred folk with banners outside Police Stations showing something like “TWO-TIER POLICING! ARREST THE THUGS AND KNIFE-WIELDING YOBS! LEAVE THE MAN TRYING TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY FROM THEM ALONE!”. This would have to be done on a substantial scale across North-East England over a period of months.  It is- still- legal to protest in the UK and provided the protestors don’t start screaming obscenities and causing unrest the Police cannot arrest them: A note of caution, I would also advise Membership of the Free Speech Union should you feel compelled to protest like this to protect your community. They can provide legal support if any trigger-happy Police do arrest you for “Breach of the Peace” for protesting peacefully.  I would not like to guarantee that one would not be arrested for protesting in this manner- North-East England is under a Government that does not brook criticism of it’s policies or criticism of Muslims or immigrants- and this Government will really try it’s luck pushing democratic boundaries if it wins the next Election.  But being a member of the Free Speech Union will serve you with some protection.

However, if large numbers of Police Officers and Superintendents see protestors with placards complaining about them not arresting and dealing with really nasty yobs, and complaining about them then arresting and getting prosecuted those who- at the end of their tether- take matters into their own hand they will take note. No organisation likes negative publicity, and it is that that will make the Police start arresting violent thugs and going a little easier on those who wallop a yob found bullying their children.

Newcastle Crown Court also needs to see protestors with placards out front, protesting about judges who let off groups of 16-year-olds with probation for almost beating a man to death; whilst sending down for three years someone who posted a nasty message about violent Muslims in the community on Facebook. If this is called out, and local folk voice their displeasure and expose the judiciary for their woke, Two-tier justice that will help pressurise them to pass sentences that are fair, satisfy justice and are proportionate.

Protests with Political Involvement Can Be Powerful

Whether or not Labour is destined to win the next Election, the involvement with political parties who promise to really fight this Wave of Lawlessness spreading North and involving them in the protests could also reap dividends. If communities get attacked, people beaten up in the street, windows smashed, children bullied -and the Police do nothing then your local Reform UK councillor or Candidate for the next Election could make a real splash around “Two Tier Policing. In Labour’s Britain Thugs and Asian Gangs can Run Amok with Knives, but Anyone Who Tries To Protect Themselves and Their Families From Them Get Arrested and Jailed”. Neither the Police, nor local Councillors, nor Judges or local Labour MPs would like any such exposure- and it might just be enough for pressure to be bought to bear upon the Government to ensure the Police and Judiciary are seen to be fair and just in the administration of justice. If the Police receive such pressure from the Government and from local communities, they may spend more time seeking and arresting violent yobs, and less time monitoring the Internet for anti-Immigrant or anti-Muslim tweets! That in turn will stem the tide of Violent Lawlessness from spreading into- and wrecking- the hitherto lovely welcoming and tight-knit Northumbrian communities.

Another solution is for concerned citizens to join the local council if they can. If they become a local Council Member they can voice the real concerns about any tide of violent yobbery sweeping across the community and argue, beg and cajole other councillors into taking firm action- perhaps putting Public Pressure on the Police to deal with the violent miscreants severely and decisively- and to get them to ease off being heavy with those who get to the end of their tether and take the law into their own hands.

The threat of increasing violent lawlessness spilling into our beautiful Northern communities is real, driven in part by the fact that violent thugs know that if they beat someone up, they are unlikely to be caught, and if they are that they are unlikely to see the inside of a prison cell.  It is also driven by demographic changes with larger numbers of folk coming into the North-East of England from lands which are hostile to this country and to our way of life. It should not be controversial to say this, and for broadcasters to fulfill their duty to report- without fear or favour- the truth.

Some of the solutions, involvement in Christianity, Neighbourhood Watch, the Power of Protest and Political Pressure, and going further and joining the local council could also make a real difference, and help to reduce the violent crime and lawlessness- that on current trends- looks set to sweep into our hitherto beautiful Northern communities. And viewers of local and Regional TV broadcasting have a right to be informed about these real and practical solutions.

Broadcasters Can be Held to Account for Failing to Report on the Violent Wave of Lawlessness and Its Causes

If Regional broadcasters, for BBC Look North (NE & Cumbria) and for ITV News Tyne Tees are not reporting on some of these serious trends towards lawlessness and violence in thew Region, and the legal, political and demographic changes driving it, then viewers should club together and protest with banners outside the BBC Look North studios at Barrack Road, in the west of Newcastle and outside the ITV Tyne Tees and Border offices at The Watermark, in Gateshead. They should have placards showing something like THERE’S A WAVE OF VIOLENT LAWLESSNESS SPREADING INTO OUR REGION AND THE POLICE DO NOTHING. REPORT IT AND REPORT ON WHAT WE CAN LEGALLY DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITIES! IF YOU DON’T, WE’LL SET UP OUR OWN NORTH-EAST NEWS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ADVISE CITIZENS AND BOYCOTT YOU!

As with the Police, and as I have mentioned in other posts around the Power of Protests, broadcasters and news organisations do not like negative publicity. And in 2026, it would not be beyond the whit of a group of fed-up Northumbrians with some technical skills to set up their own Online Northumbrian News and Documentary Channel to provide news, and documentary and discussion relevant to the real and pressing needs of the local citizenry. The mere threat of a loss of viewers, funding and relevance might instil into broadcasters the fact that it is better to risk a little legal wrath (and some fines) in the process of holding the Police, the Courts and the Government accountable- than to lose the support of an entire populace by refusing to cover alarming and dangerous trends that would embarrass the Left.              

But Some Vulnerable Folk May Have To Relocate

Nevertheless, there are some folk, those who are small in stature, who have learning disabilities and who have trouble making friends for whom staying and fighting for one’s family or the community might be impractical or impossible. If that is you, perhaps you have family that live elsewhere and your neighbours make your life hell- or one is in a domestic abuse situation then the safest course of action is to leave. You may have contacted the Police who didn’t come, and then got beaten up for going to the Police. If you are weak and do not have friends nearby to vouch for one it is essential to get out of danger: A small autistic man of forty is no match for three or four 16-year-olds who are six feet tall and who carry flick-knives!

And so, with that in mind, it is paramount that one can explore options for leaving the area altogether. Violent crime and anti-social behaviour is spilling out of the cities into rural areas of Northumberland, up towards the Scottish Border and west towards Carlisle, the North Pennines, and North Lakes. Thus, even the rural areas are liable to become less safe (unless local communities can really find a way of fighting back- see above). And so, if you have to move for your own safety in coming years, that Move may mean to really move- to the North-East– of Scotland: Rural Deeside -near the villages of Aboyne and Braemar- are still likely to have the community (and occasional snowfall in winter making the countryside pretty), the friendship and low crime rates that Northumberland once really show-cased.  Alas, even here one cannot rule out meeting a gang of yobs who set about making one’s life a misery with a Scottish “Haeey! Dae U Waarn’t Aah’ Slaaap?!”. As long ago as 2002, I was personally insulted at and shouted at by a group of yobs on the outskirts of Fort William, in the north-west of Scotland. What chance, after fifteen years of Scottish Nationalists running Scotland and being soft on crime, is there of being any improvement? Secular, legal, and demographic changes south of the Border have spread northwards into Scotland.

The move to rural northern Scotland might just do the trick. Many areas are sparsely populated but with tight-knit communities, and if one can be open and explain the reason for one’s move to locals and try to befriend them they are more likely than not to look out for you.  If possible, one should find a local Church and make friends with the local Christian community (see above): Christians are more disposed to look out for folk who are vulnerable. However, if that goes badly wrong, suppose one is on the Autistic Spectrum and some youngsters locally take a dislike to you for saying something inappropriate- and you get attacked and the local Christians don’t even support you, then a more substantial move may be required.  

The question then becomes whether it might be possible to leave the UK altogether to find safety, close-knit friendly communities and a life like one (or one’s parents) might have enjoyed in Tyneside or rural Northumberland prior to about 1985.

Moving to Europe and the ETIAS Problem

Depending on where one wants to move, and what one’s history or skill-set is it may be possible to move to parts of continental Europe governed by the continent-spanning Schengen free-travel area, to North Africa, or to spend alternate six-month periods in the Irish Republic and Sweden. It may, depending on one’s circumstances and history, be very difficult to travel to and get into mainland Europe or Scandinavia. For the vast majority of folk living in North-East England, it will be essential to get an ETIAS Visa Waiver just to travel to Europe from the end of this year (2026).

Leaving Is Very Difficult for Folk With Learning Disabilities

People with learning disabilities who get “gone for” for saying something inappropriate are especially vulnerable because not only are they most liable to be shunned, spat-upon and/ or attacked but a) they cannot fight back and b) folk with learning disabilities are the least likely to have the wit, the resources, money or the friendship network to enable them to get out of danger. If they live in a family, it is sometimes the case that those with learning disabilities get abused or mistreated by parents or siblings, and their family members might stop them leaving and threaten violence (and confiscate money and passports) to keep them at home. In an ideal world, there would be a social worker on hand to help protect them, move them out of harm’s way if they didn’t feel safe but Adult Social Care budgets never extend to providing on-call care 24-7 for the most vulnerable in society.

If you are in this situation, or if you are reading this and know of someone with learning disabilities who is being threatened, mistreated or abused- either in the community or in the home- you call both the Police and Social Services and beg for help fort them to intervene. Northumberland Social Services can be called on 01670 536 400. The North Tyneside Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) can be contacted on 0345 2000 109, and Newcastle upon Tyne’s Emergency Duty Team can be contacted on 0191 278 7878. You could save someone’s life if you call the Social Services number appropriate to your location:  Suicide is a major killer for those with learning disabilities who can see absolutely no way out of an abusive situation -even if they do not end up being murdered (link here: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/disabled-people-far-more-likely-die-suicide-non-disabled-people/).

As regards leaving the country, the ETIAS Application form to travel to Europe has to be exactly right, otherwise it is liable to be rejected: It is thus likely to be very hard for someone with learning difficulties to succeed in getting an ETIAS without support or help, and if one has a history one could be rejected anyway. Additionally, before getting an ETIAS one has to have a UK Passport, the process of applying for which online and getting the photograph of oneself exactly right is likely to be difficult for someone with a learning disability to do.  If one does not have a supportive family to assist with these processes that can make all the difference between successfully obtaining a Passport and then an ETIAS to travel to mainland Europe, or not. Additionally, for someone with learning disabilities there would be the further barriers to moving:

• Learning the language of the country they wish to move to is likely to prove exceedingly difficult for them. Getting to a point where they are fluent, could ask for help and can understand instructions in their potential new community is likely to take them several years. Fortunately, the Scandinavian countries, and to some extent the Netherlands too, provide essential services in English for those that require it- though folk moving to those countries would be expected to learn the local language within a few years.
• Folk with any learning disabilities are unlikely to have adequate financial resources to successfully move, let alone find work and get financial assistance by themselves once they have. Most European countries reserve their Welfare States for their own citizenry.
• Getting permanent asylum on the strength of violence in towns in North-East England and showing that staying in the United Kingdom in order to obtain such asylum in another European country is hard. Despite increases in violent crime, which the Police seem to have a problem stamping out in the UK, the UK is not considered a country which meets the threshold as being a really dangerous country from which folk need to flee. It would be next to impossible for someone with significant learning disabilities to articulate themselves (in the local lingo if necessary) and to provide the prerequisite paperwork to be able to demonstrate that they are in danger and should be accepted into that European country.

For these reasons, the chance of someone with a learning disability, who is attacked and spat upon in a North-East English town being able to permanently move to a European country for safety (and without support along the way) is extremely low. For such vulnerable folk, escape is but a dream unless they try and do it illegally (and get returned to the UK to face the law), or (tragically in some cases) they feel the only way of escape is to take 100 pills and never wake up. And as more places get evermore violent in North-East England (and in other parts of England and Scotland) there will tragically, be an increase in folk with learning disabilities meeting their end either through murder, or by seeing suicide as the only way out of a crappy, abusive situation.

The Irish Route for the Vulnerable

However, someone with a learning disability has more chance of success if they move to Ireland:  If one is going to Ireland, one needs neither a Passport nor an ETIAS Visa Waiver. The rural west and north-west of Ireland have tight-knit communities which are still strongly supported by the Christian faith (Catholicism runs deep in Ireland and it is part of their identity). Ireland is also progressive, and with a strong Christian faith underpinning rural communities in counties like Donegal someone with learning disabilities stands a high chance of finding someone who will look out for you without disapproval. Do seek out the Christian community in the rural part of Ireland that you decide to move to, they are supportive and look out for others. They will help with practical day-to-day issues like sorting out benefits, informing the authorities of your move, and practical matters around depleted finances (because of your move). Without the need for a Passport or an ETIAS Visa Waiver it is easy enough for folk with a range of conditions to move there- and to eventually settle there. In time, through asking friends in the community, one might find someone to help you get Irish citizenship and- with it- an Irish Passport. And with an Irish Passport could visit nice places in continental Europe without the need for an ETIAS at all.

Since the Irish Republic is part of the British Common Travel Area a British citizen can move to Ireland and live there indefinitely (link here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ireland/entry-requirements). During that time, they can get Irish citizenship by demonstrating good behaviour, holding down a job (some people with learning disabilities can still hold down some part-time work) and through that they can- eventually- get an Irish Passport, perhaps with the help of some new-found Irish friends. Once they have that, folk can travel to anywhere in Europe and they will not even need an ETIAS.

A rural area, in a community in the west of Ireland is unlikely to have the problems with violent crime. Rural communities in the county of Donegal, in north-west Ireland are safe. If one has autism and say the wrong thing to someone, there is still a risk of getting punched on the nose, but the best advice for that situation would be to report it to the local Garda (Irish Police) who would be much more likely to follow up and arrest the perpetrator than in the UK- and to move you (the victim) to another safe area if one felt threatened. In the meantime, keep your nose clean, get Irish citizenship, and get that Irish passport and save some money- with which you could move to Norrbottens län (county) in Arctic Sweden for six months of the year, enjoy the Northern Lights and winter husky rides in -25̊C (if one wished to). If someone from the UK on disability benefits moves to Ireland, most of these are still payable on moving to Ireland, so with the right support one would be able to save up a little.

If it is warmth that one prefers, then rural Portugal is very safe with dependably mild winters (with some sun) at low levels. There’s usually enough winter rain to ensure the land is green. And summers are hot.

The Nordic Connection to North-East England. Possibilities for Northumbrians to relocate to Scandinavia

I have on other articles on this website covered the links between Scandinavia (especially Norway) and North-East England. Northumbrians have an affinity with, and connection to Norway that areas further south in England do not have, the link between schools in Northumbria and the Voss Ski Resort in south-west Norway is one example, another example is the connection between Northumbria and Norway through folk music. There are Geordie and Northumbrian words that are derived from Old Norse, a root of modern Norwegian:  Examples are words such as bairn, fell, beck, dale, kirke, laik (play), oot, hyem (home) and folk. If one wishes to travel, with their family, to somewhere that is beautiful, still has cold winters, little crime, and powerful sense of community then Western and Northern Norway has plenty to choose from.

There are several reasons why Tynesiders and Northumbrians might consider a permanent move to Scandinavia: The connections through the Oil, and Gas, and Fishing industries in the North Sea mean that one may have colleagues and friends who live in Scandinavia.  There are cultural ties through folk music and through a love of the great outdoors and enjoying wide open spaces: Friluftsliv is an important thing in Norway, where folk go to their hyttas out in the wild for a weekend break in fine weather. Some of their folk music such as Hytta Mi (my cabin) sung by the folk music group Vassendgutane exemplify their attachment to getting out into the country. The link to Hytta Mi is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZpGWu54JWw.

This is not surprising for the very reason that the far north-east of North- East England, from Seahouses northwards is closer to coastal western Norway than it is to Cornwall or South Devon in south-west England, being just under 375 miles away. Scotland and North-East England also share a maritime border with Norway around 200 miles East/ North East from Berwick-upon-Tweed, and both Norwegians, Scots and Northumbrians have interacted and worked together in the North Sea Oil and Shipping industries of years gone by, and they continue to do so nowadays in the renewable energy sector.

For those seeking to move then a move to somewhere like the outskirts of Trondheim, in central northern Norway, or to Umeå on the Gulf of Bothnia coast in north-east Sweden means that folk can find friendly, hospitable communities where folk look out for each other, cold winters and beautiful snowy scenery- such as North East England had in the 1960’s. Once you have a sufficient grasp of the Norwegian (or Swedish) for the area one wishes to move to one could get to know the locals- and discover how much in common that you, as a Northumbrian, have with the locals in your new home. Scandinavians and folk from northern Britain share a love of the great outdoors, folk music, cosy evenings in by the fire in winter (hygge) and detective films. And if one wishes to move to a beefed up and fantastic version of how Northumbria once was, then a move to rural Scandinavia might be an obvious choice.

Moving to Scandinavia         

For folk who do not have learning disabilities, who grow thoroughly sick of the violence and yobbery encroaching on the Northumbrian community in which they live- and wish to relocate they do have more options. It is possible, if one has the resources for one to renew one’s UK Passport, apply for the ETIAS and do this for other family members; and then travel to Norway or Sweden where one may have connections, favourite skiing locations, etc. And to then use the time there to apply for work and obtain residency. In order to obtain a residence permit in Norway one has to have a firm job-offer (details here: https://www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/), so it would be essential to get the job-offer and obtain the residence permit before the three-month limit on staying in Norway comes to an end. One’s family would need to obtain separate family residence permits, but it helps if your new job will be over 416,000 Norwegian Krona a year (that’s about £30,000 at current exchange rates).

If one wishes to move to Sweden the restrictions are a little lighter. One has to get a job-offer to get a work permit to live more than three months in Sweden. That said, if you have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) it is considered by the Swedish immigration authorities to be as if though you have a well-paid job, which means that one should have few obstacles to moving- even with family. This means that if one is studying at university, it is worth considering doing a Ph.D. if you wish to really move North.

Another option for those fortunate enough is that if you have parents who were Norwegian or Swedish by birth, you can get a residence visa on the strength of that. However, despite the real connections that the English North-East undoubtedly has with Scandinavia most Northumbrians do not have direct family ties with either Norway or Sweden: Neither the immigration authorities in Norway or Sweden would give British folk residency based on just having grandparents or uncles with Scandinavian blood. Being married to a Scandinavian and having a child through that marriage also increases your chances of getting a marriage residence permit, but getting married to someone from another country for the sole purpose of being able to emigrate to that country is not advisable!

Not Everyone Will Be Able to Move to Europe   

Alas, not everyone is going to be able to move to Scandinavia, or indeed to anywhere in mainland Europe with ease:  The unskilled, those struggling to get by, those without parents born anywhere in Europe, etc, will not be able to get work permits or residence permits. And if folk have a criminal record or a history of psychosis they may struggle to even get an ETIAS Visa Waiver.  I have covered at length the ease with which anyone with learning disabilities locally could leave the country above, but there are other categories of Northumbrian folk for whom this will prove to be impossible to do legally.  

If one is on Probation, possibly for trying to protect one’s family from yobs and getting arrested, or one is on bail awaiting sentence after being charged with a crime it is a fact that leaving the country is out of the question. The Police normally confiscate passports from suspects released on Bail to stop them absconding and leaving the country. If that happens it will be illegal to even try and leave the country– and there may be additional prohibitions to prevent one living the United Kingdom. Normally, it is a condition of bail- or indeed Probation- that one must live at a specific address, though one can appeal to a judge and the Police for permission to move to a safer location (within England) if the authorities can be satisfied that one is indeed at risk. Moving to rural Northern Northumberland or to the Borrowdale Valley, near Keswick in the Lake District is likely to be safer than living in the middle of Newcastle.

It is possible, if one is at serious risk of harm and one can satisfy Probation Officers and the Police, for someone on Probation to move from North-East England to rural Scotland by arrangement. Provided one can show firm evidence to the Court and one’s Solicitor of the danger one is in, it is even possible to move from North-East England to Scotland if on bail (but this is not guaranteed). For the best chance of this, it helps to have family living North of the Scottish Border living in the safe Scottish rural area one would wish to move to and to be able to satisfy the Courts that you would reduce your risk (as perceived by them) if you moved.   

Alas, leaving the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom altogether whilst on Bail or Probation is (usually) prohibited: And that prohibition usually extends to moving to Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. If one is in real danger one could appeal to the Courts, with evidence, to be permitted to move to Ireland but it is likely that (unless there were very compelling reasons) one would be declined permission to actually leave the jurisdiction of the UK.

Thus, moving abroad will normally require awaiting the completion of any sentence of Probation before being able to do so at all, and for travel to mainland Europe that will require the ability to be able to get an ETIAS Visa Waiver despite one’s criminal record (which could be very difficult, if not impossible). However, it might be possible to go down the Irish route, by moving to Ireland and demonstrating good behaviour and contribute to the community there to get Irish citizenship- and with that an Irish Passport that would enable you to travel to Europe without an ETIAS.

Vulnerable Geordies and Northumbrians in Serious Danger

If one is on Bail or on Probation, and one is in serious danger- for instance there’s a group of young men with knives banging on the door, and they have just put your window through you need to take immediate steps to protect yourself or your family. In that case, you dial “999”, ask for the Police and photograph all the evidence you can. Send the photo evidence to the Police and contact your solicitor to explain what has happened. Ask a friend or neighbour to come and be with you. If the thugs have gotten in and destroyed your property and knocked you senseless, call the Police from your phone, if that’s been destroyed and your computer has been destroyed raise the alarm with your neighbour, and call the Police (and your solicitor) from your neighbour’s home.

Be aware that if you have to go outside just to raise the alarm with the neighbour you should take a stick and a Personal attack alarm with you (and wear a helmet) in case the thugs are watching one and intend to attack you again.

If you have been beaten so badly that you cannot move, perhaps your leg and/ or back gets broken in the attack, try and reach for your phone to call for help if you still have it, if not then crawl to the front-door to be in ear-shot of your neighbours, set off your personal attack-alarm and scream for help. Hopefully, the neighbours will get to you to get one to hospital (and relative safety) before the thugs come back and finish you off: If the thugs arrive first, my own advice in that situation would be to really repent to God before they beat you unconscious (then at least you would go to heaven)!

If one survives being seriously attacked/ threatened one should- as soon as they get back from hospital pack some clothes, your wallet, and phone (assuming one still has these) and flee to safety. If the Police and the Courts are understanding they should allow you to do this even if you are on Bail/ Probation. If you live in or on the outskirts of Tyneside, Wearside, or Teesside- and you should move west towards the relative safety of the North Pennines or north to rural North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, or even north-east Scotland. The Yorkshire Dales and rural Cumbria are also relatively safe if you have a network of family friends to support you there.

If You and Your Family End Up in Real Danger in Your Community and You Cannot Fight Back- Flee

If you don’t have any money, ask your neighbour/ friend to give you and your family a lift out of the immediate danger, if not just walk/ hitch- carrying a stick in case the violent yobs clock you and try to attack you (early to mid-morning is the safer time as most of the thugs will be having their sleep then). You should ideally travel North, walking and hitching until you reach somewhere like Wooler or Chirnside, find the local vicarage or a church. Hopefully there is someone who will respond and you can explain your desperate plight. If you arrive at night, find a bothy or out-house by the roadside- and in the morning you can then find someone to provide some shelter for yourself and your family. You then contact the local Police, show them any bruises and photographs of damage to property, and make clear that you are not safe to be at your designated home-address. If one is on bail, and it is a condition of your Bail that one is at the address specified in your Bail-conditions explain that you would rather be arrested and returned to jail than to be returned to a dangerous neighbourhood, that in that case your partner or parents could look after your dependents.

I do not advocate breaking the law: If you are on Bail or on Probation you should seek legal counsel and inform the Police of any plans to move if you are in danger. Plead with the authorities and implore them to understand the gravity of your situation. However, if you and your family are in Real Immediate Danger– and you do not have a supporting community of friends, are not strong enough to protect yourself, the Police/ Courts won’t sanction your move, and the Police are not protecting you or your family from the violent onslaught- You must flee to safety to protect yourself and your family. That is morally justifiable. Then you immediately inform the Police and the Courts why you have had to flee- and if you are returned to prison, you will be safer there than in your former home and (this being an extreme situation) your children will be safer with either your partner or, if you don’t have one, with your parents or sibling.

If the Police return you to your designated address, rinse and repeat: You will either end up approved to live in a safer community over an hour’s drive to the North or you will be in prison: Either is likely to be safer for you and your family. Before the time comes up for one to leave prison, prevail upon the Police and the Courts, through one’s solicitor that you and your family need to be in a remote Northern rural area for your own and your family’s safety, explaining what has happened before. Make clear that you cannot leave prison to be moved back to the city where you were seriously threatened/ attacked: You should then get a term of probation living in a rural area of northern Northumberland, the North Pennines or perhaps the Yorkshire Dales. 

It would take an especially tin-eared judge to refuse someone leave to move home to a safer location if that someone has had thugs threaten them repeatedly, explained that they are scared enough to stay in jail than return to their old home. But after 2029 we might be surprised, with normal justice turned completely on its head!

In the circumstances where it might ever be advisable to break Probation (or even bail) conditions and risk jail to flee from danger- you should not hang about trying to organise removal of your furniture and belongings to your new home, arranging to put your home on the market, etc: You will probably have to leave some things behind, tough though that be. If gangs of knife-wielding thugs are banging on your door, the thugs have put bricks through your windows six times in the previous few weeks, and your son had his head caved in last week YOU GET OUT– FAST! If you own your home, you will likely have severe negative equity because few potential buyers will want to move to a community with such violence (except perhaps some violent gangland bosses).          

It is not outlandish to consider giving vulnerable folk a heads-up so that they know what to do in extreme violent situations where immediate escape may be illegal- or even rendered physically impossible. Violent lawlessness is spreading from the South to the North, from the cities to the suburbs and- ultimately- to nice rural communities such as those around Haydon Bridge, Stanhope, or Bellingham. Violent Lawlessness will intensify in the areas it is already in and spread outwards, that is assuming this Labour Government remain in office. Broadcasters are not doing this, they are not even warning about this likely big “Wave of Lawlessness” that is coming, let alone provide any extraordinary advice for the extraordinary violent circumstances innocent folk may well be faced with: And they really should be.     

And Broadcasters Say Nothing About Any of This

 

If one has to leave a Region with which one has connections, is where one was brought up and has lived for many years leaving Northumberland or Tyneside for one’s personal safety and that of one’s families is not something that folk would do lightly. Folk would have to leave because the community that they lived in for years, and had happy memories of is no more- a community that has turned into a crime-ridden, unpleasant and dangerous community is no place to bring up a family or spend one’s retirement years.  Broadcasters serving residents in Northumberland and Tyneside, and across County Durham from the North Sea Coast to the North Pennines ought to be duty-bound to report on developments across North-East England that could lead to perhaps 10% of the population moving out- or at least to more northerly areas along the Scottish Border- for their own safety. If it gets to the point where that ever becomes necessary, then broadcasters have a duty to report it- and to provide topical coverage discussing some of the issues around Leaving the Region that I have discussed above.

As I have discussed, North-East England out of the cities is probably the safest part of England to live in, so if it is no longer safe to live in Hexham, Ponteland or Amble in Northumberland- or the surrounding areas the last thing folk want to do is move South to another part of England. Moving to safety is likely to mean moving North, to rural Scotland or to Ireland- or given the connections that Northumbrians have with them- to Norway or Sweden (for which most Northumbrians will need an ETIAS from the end of this year just to visit, and work/ study permits to reside there longer). If folk want to move South to somewhere warmer but which is also safe The Channel Islands is part of the British Common Travel Area, and you could move there without a passport. The rural West Coast of Ireland is very safe and has mild winters, but it is often wet and windy. Despite the often-wild weather the rural west of Ireland also has clean air, and the views are fantastic.

If thousands of folk feel the need to move North or West, to escape increasingly-violent urban areas a higher proportion of the population in North-East England will live in rural Northumberland, the North Pennines and a good number of them would live just across the border into Scotland. A sympathetic broadcaster would not abandon people as they move (the folk moving will be Northumbrians driven to despair) so the establishment of a separate Northumberland/ Scottish Borders Regional News service would provide coverage and news-content relevant for the “Tynesider Refugees” moving into the Scottish Borders: In other words, the issues of them finding work, relocating their kids into new schools, dealing with the Scottish Legal and Education system, and- above all- whether or not violent yobbery is catching up with folk and moving into those areas too, all of this deserves coverage.

Alas, the Scottish Borders may not stay very safe for long after 2029, assuming Labour remain in power. This Region is likely to become trapped between a pincer movement of the violent lawlessness spilling-out north-west from Tyneside and another wave moving down from Glasgow-Edinburgh to the north-west. Hopefully, folk there can be encouraged to get their adopted Scottish Border and far North Northumberland communities to put up a fortress of resistance and to mount an effective fight back were that to happen. But that would require sympathetic coverage from broadcasters, who might alert communities to these threats and offer practical remedies.   

The Regional TV services covering the more southerly parts of North-East England and into Cumbria would (ideally) provide sympathetic coverage for folk from Teesside, Sunderland and Tyneside moving into rural areas to the west, again offering practical advice on the practicalities of upheaval and moving to new areas. For those staying put and fighting the crime-wave in their communities, sympathetic in-depth coverage of what is happening and discussion of practical solutions, rather than just a reel of reports of the latest stabbings, murders, etc, in the main urban areas. And for those thinking of moving, but without a support network, or resources Public Regional broadcasters should offer practical tips. Where communities succeed in fighting back and see a fall in violent crime, Regional TV broadcasters should cover that too, because that will encourage other communities to pull together and fight back.

The Sports coverage might need to be scaled back to nothing more than five minutes, if that. Folk will not be so interested in Newcastle United winning The Champions League if there are neighbours stuffing dog-poo through their letter-boxes with regularity, or if their autistic sons are getting beaten-up then getting death-threats: And the Police do nothing. They will want coverage of the pressing issues concerning them, what to do to protect their homes and families- or if it becomes far too much- to leave the area altogether.