UK’s ‘worst crime spot’ is ‘s**thole’ however vacationers go to for ‘uncommon’ Wetherspoons

If you know that somewhere owns the crown for ‘worst crime spot’ in Britain – you’d probably want to run a mile.

But, it looks like one seaside town riddled with ‘violence’ and ‘harassment’ has at least one unexpected saving grace.

After data from the Office For National Statistics was scoured by security outfit Get Licensed, they revealed Hartlepool has the highest crime rate in Britain.

READ MORE: Seaside town with ‘violence and harassment’ ranked as Britain’s worst crime hotspot

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The County Durham port town is ranked first for crime, in front of Westminster, with its ‘total crime score’ of 9.54 out of 10. It’s also been recently reported as being in the top 10% of deprived areas in the UK.

Some residents have openly declared it an ‘absolute dump’ and others shared there’s just ‘f**k all’ to do amongst the rows of closed down shops in the crime capital of the UK.

However, there is one hidden ‘gem’ that is proving to be one of the reasons why tourists dare to make the pilgrimage to the North East town. No, not the extensive ode to the Royal Navy but their supposedly “exceptionally good” Wetherspoons.

Yes, that’s right. The Ward Jackson pub in Hartlepool is actually favoured by locals and visitors alike (apart from reports of stringent dress codes).

Now, if you go to visit somewhere, it’s highly unlikely that visiting a Wetherspoons will be on the top of the list of recommendations.

But, it looks like this ‘rarity’ of a Spoons is a huge hit with an average of 4.1 stars on Google Reviews and similar 4 star rating on Trip Advisor.

One person wrote on Trip Advisor: “We have now been in The Ward Jackson Hartlepool four times, the staff are very friendly would recommend it if you are in Hartlepool.”

Another voiced: “Even by Wetherspoons standards, this pub is exceptionally good.”

And a third reviewer said: “A bit of a rarity these days to find a Wetherspoons that actually gives good service. But, clearly some exist. Newish pub with lots of seats, pleasant staff and decent prices.”

Last year, the pub in the town centre also bagged a ‘platinum’ rating in the Loo of the Year Awards, where restrooms are graded on ‘décor and maintenance, cleanliness, accessibility, hand washing and drying equipment’.

At the time, The Ward Jackson manager Lindsay Carney said: “Staff at the pub ensure the toilets are in excellent condition at all times and it is great that this has been recognised by the inspectors.”

That’s the third best possible rating the loos could have been awarded; not bad for a town that’s been branded a ‘s**thole’ on social media.

Although, not everyone is too fond of one of Hartlepool’s highest-rated attractions.

While Wetherspoons punters might not usually be known for their high-fashion style, some visitors ‘looking forward’ to their trip to Hartlepool were left outraged with the budget pub before they could step through the door.

In a Google review, one wannabe Spoons punter thought they’d treat themselves to some pub grub in The Ward Jackson.

But, door staff prevented them from going in because of their attire. Hartlepool might be plagued with crime, but the highly rated Wetherspoons seems like they do not want to commit any against fashion.

The angry punter blasted: “Absolute joke. Been looking forward to staying in Hartlepool for a while now and thought we’d go out for a bite to eat, we stopped here and didn’t even get through the door before we were stopped for wearing jogging bottoms.

“It’s a Wetherspoons not a nightclub. Ridiculous.”

Wetherspoons do not have a particular dress code – though attire must be ‘inoffensive’ – but “some pubs operate specific dress codes at all or certain times,” the site says.

Even if Hartlepool itself is plagued by crime ‘worse’ than the capital city, The Ward Jackson – and its spick and span loos – seem to be a little slice of heaven amongst the trouble.

Though, you might want to leave your tracksuit outside for this one…