South Bermondsey station has been named as the ‘most dangerous in Southwark’, despite only nine crimes having been reported there in the last year writes Callum Smyth…
According to data from the British Transport Police, in 2023/24 Elephant and Castle and Peckham actually had the highest number of crimes reported, but South Bermondsey topped the list per commuter (2.38).
On a trip down there one afternoon, commuters referenced the ‘bad lighting’ and the fact the station ‘wasn’t manned’ as possible reasons for why it was so dangerous.
One local business owner said he ‘wasn’t surprised’, commenting: “I make sure my staff leave work early during winter months.”
Two women we asked said that they hadn’t experienced any trouble there, despite being regular users of the station.
One young commuter disagreed with it being ‘number one’ saying: “I feel as if it would have to be over 50 [crimes] to be most dangerous”.
She added: “It’s daytime so I feel pretty safe.”
One local business owner said he wasn’t surprised by the findings, pointing out that the area’s poverty contributes to the unsafe atmosphere.
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Meanwhile, a pensioner shared his thoughts, noting that while he hasn’t had any bad experiences during his commutes, he was a Yorkshire man from Sheffield and pointed at the nearby Millwall football stadiums saying rival fans arriving might play a part in it.
According to the data, Southwark Underground station and Sydenham Hill were deemed as the area’s ‘safest’.
5 most dangerous stations in Southwark 2023-2024
South Bermondsey station
- Number of crimes reported: 9
- Total commuters: 378,549
- 2.38 per 100,000
Elephant And Castle Railway station
- Number of crimes reported: 59
- Total commuters: 11,647,728
- 0.51 per 100,000
Nunhead Railway station
- Number of crimes reported: 8
- Total commuters: 598,074
- 1.34 per 100,000
North Dulwich Railway station
- Number of crimes reported: 7
- Total commuters: 399,543
- 1.75 crimes per 100,000
Peckham Rye Railway station
- Number of crimes reported: 52
- Total commuters: 3,760,160
- 1.38 crimes per 100,000
Link to the data here.
Apart crom the crime figures – though dereliction and lack of care encourage it – the station is a windswept throwback to the Victorian era with none of the nice architecture. When I used it, especially if the weather was bad or dark, I felt I was perched uncomfortably on a Western movie set or horror movie. Little in the way of shelter or any welcoming friendliness. The pits.