True, Madmum. Might be tough if you don't know the areas though. I keep hearing that our area is a really bad place to raise children. But most of the children I've met in our neighbourhood are absolutely lovely. In fact, a couple of them aren't just well behaved, they're downright charming. Even my very proper (cough-cough) English husband said that.

So ask people who actually live in the neighbourhoods you're considering. Don't take the word of statistics.