Blofeld f lees ‘ horribly violent UK’ for Spain

RETIRED cricket commentator Henry Blofeld is leaving Britain because he says London has become ‘horribly violent’.

The former voice of the BBC’s Test Match Special and his third wife Valeria will move from Chelsea to the Spanish island of Menorca at the end of the year.

The 78- year- old broadcaster said: ‘I’ve sort of become a bit bored of Chelsea after 60 years, though I’ll be back a lot.

‘I shan’t have a house in London, though. I don’t like it any more. I think it’s become – not exactly Leaving: Henry ‘Blowers’ Blofeld dangerous – but it is horribly violent, isn’t it? I had a friend who was knifed from one of those mopeds, and you don’t see too many Englishmen where I live.

‘I think London has lost its village atmosphere and charm.’ London has seen a sharp rise in violent crime with the murder rate recently topping that of New York. There are also about 60 mopedrelated crimes every day.

After two decades of going on holiday to Menorca, the Blofelds are planning to settle in its capital, Mahon, where they recently bought a three-storey townhouse.

‘It’s old-fashioned, with a wonderful climate and most people speak English,’ he said. ‘And it’s got an absolutely splendid cricket club, the MCC.’

The MCC referred to the man revered as Blowers by his many fans, is in this case Menorca Cricket Club, rather than the considerably more renowned Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord’s.

Blofeld has also praised Menorca for being ‘almost crime-free’ and not as ‘pretentious’ as the other nearby islands Ibiza or Majorca.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he was also asked if he was a Europhile. He replied: ‘No! Gosh, absolutely not at all. No great affiliation with Europe whatsoever,’ before adding: ‘Well, actually, I suppose I do in a way, I’m married to an Italian woman…’

The Old Etonian, known for his plummy tones and on-air digressions to everything from pigeons to cakes, retired last summer after 45 years. He said at the time: ‘If I came along now, what would people think of me? They might take a view and think, this chap’s not right at all.’

He plans to move after completing a stage tour, 78 Retired, across the country this autumn.