Holiday hotspot hiding Europe’s worst murder rate as Mafia battle for control of beachfront

IT’S the beautiful French island where close to three million tourists flock every summer to enjoy the Caribbean-like beaches and luxury hotels. But the kidnapping of Made in Chelsea star Freddy Knatchbull – who was bundled into a car by gangsters while filming the E4 show – is a reminder of Corsica’s dark underbelly, which has given it the highest murder rate in Europe. tourism industry on the ‘Isle of Beauty’, having been attracted by the huge sums flowing in from wealthy visitors from all over the world. Valerie Clemens is a member of the ‘Mafia No Life Yes Collective’ (Collective Maffia No’, a Vita Iè) that is calling for authorities to be given greater powers to crack down on the mob menace. She tells us: “The murder rate is strongly linked to organised crime – the gangs that are involved in drugs, public works and waste disposal. “If you are a British tourist and you go to Corsica, you might not think there is a problem. “But the people that run the