A pensioner has said that he doesn’t set foot outside after dark because he fears Britain’s streets. Fergus McElland from Greenwich in London reacted to the shocking statistic suggesting that 96% of pensioners feel the same way.
He admitted to commentator and former politician Martin Daubney that he takes drastic measures to avoid being a crime victim as he uses a walking stick. Mr McElland said: “I live in Greenwich, three miles in Woolwich where there’s an awful lot of crime. You don’t go out after dark. I’ve got a bad back so I walk with a stick. I always use a headset, my phone is in my pocket and I use a cheap watch. Going out after dark is seriously scary. I daren’t. I’ve got a little walking stick, I can’t protect myself.”
“I used to be able to 20 years ago but now I stand no chance against a knife and a gun. Lee Rigby was killed three miles from my door.”
The Pensioner Vote asked over 4,000 pensioners. While 17% of men said they feel safe to walk aroud Britain’s streets, for women it was only 3%.
Mr McElland said he is particularly scared for his female friends who are increasingly victims of crime. He claimed that his female friends in 50s or even 30s will not go out after dark, and he even had to collect them from the station.
The pensioner told GB News: “One is a nurse. Very tall, very beautiful. There is no way I would let her walk to the bus stop after dark.”
To prevent street crime, stricter punishemnt is supported, with 93% pensioners agreeing to a mandatory five year prison sentence for carrying knives.
The survey also confirmed massive support for Reform UK among pensioners, with 61% of all respondents thinking Nigel Farage would be the best UK Prime Minister. In comparison, 6% think the same about Keir Starmer and 5% would support Kemi Badenoch.
Since winning last year’s election, Labour has faced criticism from pensioners, many of whom have been impacted by the removal of winter fuel payment and rising household costs.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride said: “Labour’s cost-of-living crisis is hitting pensioners hard. In just one year, pensioners have been left £806 worse off – paying more for energy, water, council tax, and even their phone and broadband bills.”
A Government spokesperson defended their position, describing the Conservative calculations as “speculative”
