Once known for its cathedral and tales, Canterbury now faces shoplifting, drug use, and violence, alarming locals and police.
Locals blame youths for the town’s decline, saying the city center faces antisocial conduct. Louts shoplift, start fights, and cause fires. In Westgate, police recorded 215 crimes in November 2024. Sixty-six crimes were violent or sexual, while forty-one were shoplifting incidents.
Fourteen were criminal damage and arson offenses. Ryan Rowe, who was homeless, blames a local pub, saying the Wetherspoons pub gets rough at night. He knew someone sleeping rough who was set on fire by young people, though the victim survived.
Thirteen crimes occurred outside The West Gate Inn, nine of which were violent or sexual offenses, and two were criminal damage or arson incidents. Ethan Snoad said some streets feel unsafe. He said drug use got worse, especially at clubs, and drink spiking is a big worry. He knows which streets to avoid, adding that you stay safe if you stick to the crowds.
Butchery Lane, St George’s Street, and Gravel Walk are high-crime areas. The Aldi near St Andrews Close also sees crime; eight of twelve offenses there were shoplifting cases. Nineteen offenses occurred at the Watling Street Bus Station.
Carly Saunders avoids the town center at night now, saying it feels “awful” and uncontrolled. She sees fights, a lack of police, mess, and kids starting fires. She blames boozy brunches, two universities, and tourists. She thinks Canterbury isn’t very safe and has a drug issue.
Homeless people live in tents, and students buy and sell drugs. Clubs add to the drug problems. Locals call Canterbury a low-rent Las Vegas.
Susan Patton, who manages a Boots store, said kids often steal items, and a security guard faced threats from them. However, shops share information about shoplifters, which makes her feel safer.
Tiger-Rose Matthews, a busker, gets verbal abuse often, with people shouting insults while she performs. She protects her money with her foot, saying addicts try to steal it. Emma Hill, who worked at a Christmas market, sometimes feels unsafe in the town center. She thinks things got worse recently, noting a recent stabbing occurred nearby.
She sees the high street decline, with vape shops appearing as other shops close. It lowers the tone of the historic city, but empty stores would be even worse.
The Office for National Statistics recorded 14,387 crimes in Canterbury between June 2023 and 2024. Kent had 164,945 crimes then, a fall from 173,230 crimes the prior year.
A Wetherspoons spokesman said their pub is safe with experienced managers and good ratings, and they use CCTV cameras. Police have no concerns about the pub and work with a local business group that shares info to prevent trouble. Canterbury lacks a good “Pubwatch” program, but Wetherspoon would help start one, he said.
Chief Inspector Paul Stoner said crime fell five percent in the Canterbury district, noting that arson, shoplifting, and violence decreased. Police work hard to cut crime, and are adding more officers on patrol, as well as conducting undercover operations that arrest shoplifters and keep women safe at night.
Stoner said Canterbury is a safe place still. Police want people to report any concerns to help them focus their efforts better.