F1 heiress Petra Ecclestone quits multi-million pound Chelsea mansion and moves to LA as London streets ‘no longer safe’
F1 HEIRESS Petra Ecclestone is set to sell her Chelsea mansion and move to Los Angeles over her fears of soaring violent crime in the capital.
Petra, 29, has said she no longer felt safe walking around her neighbourhood in south-west London and added that other mums in the playground had expressed similar views.
She told The Sunday Times Magazine: "It's crazy how unsafe the UK has become — so much more so than ten years ago.
"Talking with mums at school, there have been so many incidents, so many attacks, robberies, knives during the day. You don't feel safe walking around the neighbourhood."
The wealthy socialite intends to sell up and move to her 57,000ft mansion in California, the largest in Los Angeles county, and live with her new boyfriend Sam Palmer.
She added she would probably have a better quality of life in LA following her divorce last year from businessman James Stunt.
Because of her safety fears she now employs four bodyguards – one for herself and one each for her three children, Lavinia, five and twins James and Andrew, three.
Petra’s home was attacked in 2016 by youths who threw a petrol bomb that exploded on her driveway, close to a parked Range Rover.
A conman also targeted her and the property, walking off with “irreplaceable” gems valued at £450,000 from the house.
He was eventually jailed in 2014.
Official figures show violent crime is on the rise both in London and across the country.
The number of knife attacks in the year to March 2018 surged by 16 per cent to 40,147 — a seven-year-high.
And excluding terror attacks there was a 12 per cent rise in murders across the UK.
Earlier today, an off-duty copper was stabbed in the leg in south east London after he confronted a moped gang who were trying to rob a man.
The 37-year-old was attacked as he tackled a group of four males trying to steal another scooter from a man on Maylons Road, Lewisham.