This east London borough lies to the north of the river Thames and since the mid-20th Century has been a key borough for the motor and chemical industries - memorably, the Ford Motor Company was set up in Dagenham during the interim period between the First and Second World Wars.
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Where do we start? Poor standard of living, low wages and the increased risk of death from one of the major killers (cancer and heart disease), it would seem that Barking and Dagenham has gone to the dogs.
And its got the greatest risk of criminal damage of anywhere in the UK! No wonder it's the cheapest Local Authority in London for property, the question is would you have to be barking to live there?
Things have changed since then, and now the area seems to be more synonymous with the stealing of cars rather their production, as theft of vehicle offences are comfortably more than twice the national average.
However, the area has a penchant for nature reserves - there are hordes of country parks, meadows, forests, conservation sites and animal habitats, all ripe for public exploration.
Eastbury Manor House and Valence House Museum are among the historic buildings situated here, with the latter benefiting from a recent injection of cash, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Elsewhere, the ruins of religious focal points are still in existence and to the fore, with Barking Abbey, St Margaret's Parish Church and the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul - which can be found in Old Dagenham Village - surviving as windows onto local history.
The average house price here is among the lowest for London boroughs, but at £189,000 it is 10 per cent up on prices for 2006. Despite the cheap value of property in Barking and Dagenham, it is tempered slightly by the knowledge that the rate of robbery offences here - at 4.9 per thousand of the population - are just over four times greater than the national average, meaning that residents would be well advised to invest in a burglar alarm.
Worryingly, unemployment among women is an eye-catching 11.3 per cent, comfortably more than two times the national average of 4.8 per cent. Those in work get a reasonable deal though. While it remains lower than the London average, the average rate of pay per hour for residents here is £11.72, which is higher than the mean rate throughout England.
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Local area info on Barking and Dagenham from upmystreet.com >>
Barking & Dagenham London Borough Council >>
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