‘I visited “dangerous” UK city and could not consider the worth of a pint’

A once peaceful market town that’s garnered a grim reputation over the years stunned a visitor – but simply because of their pint prices.

Llanelli in South Wales has been marred by crime reports, leading to a 2019 BBC article claiming that residents were “scared to leave their homes” due to county line drug gangs.

According to crimerate.co.uk, it ranks among the top five most dangerous places out of Camarthernshire’s 199 towns, villages and cities, with a crime rate of 117 crimes per 1,000 people as of 2023.

But when YouTuber Charlie visited, he was shocked by something more disturbing altogether. He explained on his channel, Charlie Vlogs, that he was taken aback by the cost of a pint in the town.

Upon his visit, Charlie noticed streets littered with rubbish bags and trash. Despite being labelled a “dump” by one local, he didn’t find the town significantly worse than many other seaside towns. “This whole place doesn’t really feel like I’m in Wales there’s no community feel to it,” Charlie commented, likening it to a “more like a run-down town like Torquay”.

The presence of a standard albeit large Wetherspoons only reinforced the lack of local identity. However, unlike the smaller, non-chain pub he visited in the town, Charlie was pleasantly surprised by the ‘Spoons bar prices, managing to score a couple of Bud Lites for a mere £4.78, reports the Express.

However, the story took a different turn when Charlie’s local guide Curtis led him to Llanelli’s desolate beachfront area. “I wouldn’t say there’s much to this beach,” the Londoner commented.

The only point of interest was a bar named St. Ellie’s Bay, which they promptly left upon seeing the prices.

With Peroni and Estrella priced just shy of £7, and the rioter’s favourite Koppaberg slightly more affordable at £5.95, St. Ellie’s Bay proved too expensive for Charlie’s taste.

“I don’t really fancy spending seven quid on a beer, “Charlie admitted. “We’ll just go to the shop and get a Corona.”

Beer in hand, the duo continued their exploration of the town. There were scant signs of the violence that Llanelli has sadly become known for, although they did stumble upon the remains of a fish that had been ripped in half.

In contrast, many parts of Llanelli resembled a ghost town, with the infamous Tyisha estate – recently ranked as the most deprived area in Carmarthenshire – largely boarded-up and plastered with warning signs about active CCTV crime prevention measures.

While local authorities appear to have tackled Llanelli’s crime issue, they’re unlikely to draw many visitors back to the area until they address their bar prices.