A family from Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, has moved to Malaysia with their three children, saying they no longer felt safe in Britain and were driven abroad by rising local crime and the cost of living.
Kayleigh Hall, 37, and her husband, Kev Hall, 41, left the UK in March with children Pippa, 11, Freddie, seven, and Ronnie, two. Kayleigh Hall gave up a sales job to home-educate the children, and her husband, a former mortgage adviser, now runs a sales and marketing business remotely. The couple said they do not plan to return to the UK.
In interviews the family cited specific incidents and a broader sense of unsafe streets as factors in their decision. Kayleigh Hall described what she called "random attacks" in the community, saying one woman walking her dog was slashed across the cheek by a person on a bicycle. She said social media feeds showing assaults and children assaulting others and streaming the incidents online contributed to her feeling that "Britain is broken at the minute."
The Halls initially spent two months in Spain before settling in Malaysia because they found living costs there lower. They said their monthly mortgage and car costs in the UK amounted to about £2,500, while in Malaysia they secured a three-bedroom furnished apartment with bills included for around £700. The complex, they said, includes a private cinema, bowling alley and multiple swimming pools. With reduced housing costs, the family said they have more money for travel and plan visits to Singapore and Japan.
Kayleigh Hall said she has homeschooled the children for more than a year and continued that approach abroad. She described a practical, experience-led approach to learning rather than following the UK curriculum closely, saying the children had become more confident in everyday tasks such as ordering in restaurants.
The family's account comes amid broader debate in Britain over crime trends and policing. Retail theft, muggings and fraud have been reported at higher levels in recent records, and some analyses show a substantial rise in shoplifting since the pandemic. Personal theft has also been reported at higher levels in national datasets. Critics have linked such increases to policy decisions and reductions in prison populations, while police chiefs have warned that further cuts to police numbers are possible if funding does not increase.
A Daily Mail analysis of Police.uk data published recently found that police opened about 3.9 million crime cases in the year ending May 2025, and that roughly 3.3 million of those were closed without a suspect being identified or a prosecution pursued. The analysis said nearly 900 of approximately 34,000 lower super output areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales recorded no solved crimes over the same period. The report named several LSOAs where all reported offences were recorded as unsolved.
Campaigners and commentators have debated the causes and implications of the figures. Some allege that criminal justice and sentencing changes have given offenders greater latitude, while others point to under-resourcing and the complexities of modern crime reporting, including increases in low-value theft and online fraud. Police organisations have pointed to funding and staffing pressures as factors that can affect investigative outcomes.
The Halls framed their move as a family decision driven by safety, financial and lifestyle considerations. "We decided we wanted nicer weather, cheaper cost of living and to be safer," Kayleigh Hall said. She added that the move allowed the family more time together and greater flexibility in work and education.
The couple said they do not expect to return to live in the UK and have adjusted to life overseas while continuing to follow developments back home through social media and news coverage. Officials have not commented on the individual family's case. The accounts from the Halls add a personal perspective to ongoing public discussions about crime rates, policing resources and the cost pressures faced by British households.