The first place in mainland Britain to be attacked during World War I, over 100 people died on 16 December 1914 when Hartlepool was bombarded with German shells.
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Hartlepool is one of the UK's most troubled towns. Its crime rates come in a shameful 26th worst out of our 434 Local Authorities and its record for violent crime is twice the national average. Some people here are clearly making monkeys of the law!
Despite a massive regeneration programme in the 1990s, Hartlepool is still short of places to shop - and it has only half the average number of bars, restaurants and hotels. But things are definitely looking up; in the last year, both the council and health services here have had glowing reports so we expect improvements to follow shortly.
Its history appears to centre on its naval importance; and the Historic Quay acts as a reminder of the past - a recreation of an 18th century seaport. The Trincomalee, Europe's oldest floating warship, is the pride of all the attractions at the quay, and has been restored in an attempt to recapture the spirit of the time.
Along with warships and legends of hanging monkeys - the story harks back to the Napoleonic Wars and provides the inspiration for Hartlepool FC's club mascot, H'Angus the Monkey - the borough was the stomping ground of cartoon character Andy Capp. Esteemed film director, Sir Ridley Scott, also studied at West Hartlepool College of Art, being arguably the most famous non-fictional resident from the borough's past.
The average house price in Hartlepool is just below £146,000, which amounts to a 14 per cent increase on prices from 2006. On the crime front, the rates of vehicle theft and robbery offences are both below the national average, although violent crime offences - at 29.5 per thousand residents - are nearly twice as common as the mean rate across the country.
Back in the workplace, unemployment among men is nearly double the national average, with 9.8 per cent of men of working age being out of a job, compared with the national average of 5.8 per cent. Moreover, the number of people in Hartlepool who are claiming Job Seeker's Allowance amounts to 4.3% of the working population, which is nearly twice as high as the national average.
The state of education in the area fares little better, and the proportion of people who hold no formal qualifications is nearly four per cent higher than the national average, with 17.4 per cent of residents being fully-fledged diploma-dodgers.
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Find out which unlucky borough slipped in at number 19 in 2007 >>
Local area info on Hartlepool from upmystreet.com >>
Hartlepool Borough Council >>
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