I have lived in Nottingham with my girlfriend for just over a year and initially thought it was a nice place to live. But when we moved from West Bridgford to another area of town I was mugged at gunpoint in the first two weeks and there was a drive-by shooting in our road. I’ve witnessed shoplifting and drug dealing on numerous occasions. It’s not just the police but society itself, which is failing to address the problem of violent crime in the city. Paul Brown, Nottingham

Nottingham has far too many 'no go’ areas like Radford, St Anns, Meadows and Lenton. But the university and the main shopping area are fine and are just two reasons why it is an attractive place to live. Adam White, Newcastle

Having lived as a student in Nottingham for the past two years, I wouldn't say it was extremely dangerous. This is, however, only relating to my personal experience of the city. I have friends and have known fellow students who have been victims of mugging (more than five male students), street beatings (three male students), attempted sexual attacks (three female students) and burglary (40% of students I know living in the Lenton area). Burglary seems to be the most widespread crime affecting Nottingham students. Gun crime is of course something to be aware of but by no means the biggest threat to students’ safety because it mainly takes place, as Benjamin Bullock says, away from the city centre and student areas. Laura Cooper, London

I'm in my first year at University of Nottingham and I haven't encountered any violence or problems. The university organises free buses from the campus to the main student areas on Friday and Saturday nights and the taxis are extremely reliable, so getting to and from town at night is never a problem. I think with every student city if you go into the areas known for gangs and gun crime you're asking for trouble. I think Nottingham is an amazing city and the university has an excellent reputation, which shouldn't be rejected because of violence on the other side of the city. Anna Mead, Suffolk

I'm in my first year at Nottingham, and I have not encountered any violence in the city, despite spending far too much money going out into town. The university itself is on a campus so it is isolated from any serious crime. In the town centre and Lenton - the student area - it is just like being in any other major city and you take the same reasonable precautions. I think Nottingham is a great city, as well as a great place to study, and I wouldn’t be put off by the recent media hype. Dominic Potter, Liverpool

As a first year student at the University of Nottingham, the city’s reputation for gun crime and drugs does worry me, but having been here for several months I have not encountered anything so far to make me feel Nottingham is any different to a city like London. I am anxious about living in a student area next year, because I know I am a target for crime, but all I can do is take sensible precautions the way I would do anywhere. As a university town, Nottingham has so much to offer, but like every other university town, there is the constant danger that students must try to avoid too. Steph Cort, Nottingham

Nottingham is a safe place to study. Most of the violence has been among drug gangs and concentrated in estates well away from the university. No students or staff have been killed in the violence. Not going to study at Nottingham University because you're worried about the violence is like refusing to go to Imperial College London in South Kensington because you're worried about the violence in Tower Hamlets. John Tomlinson, London

I studied the University of Nottingham between September 1999 and the summer of 2002. During this period, I also worked as a Special Constable for Nottinghamshire Police, regularly patrolling Nottingham city centre on Friday or Saturday nights. Although I did hear about a number of shooting incidents during my time in Nottingham, I never felt particularly unsafe performing my duty as a Special Constable, and I did not get the impression that Nottingham was a particularly violent city. In general, shooting incidents were outside the main city centre (in areas such as Radford, St Ann’s or the Meadows), and the average person would be extremely unlucky to get caught up in any such incident. I feel that Swansea, where I grew up, has a more violent atmosphere than Nottingham, but this could be because the main pubs and clubs are confined to only two main streets, confining what trouble there may be to a much smaller area. Benjamin Bullock, London

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