Crime in Breckland: statistics, rates and trends
8,523 crimes were recorded in Breckland in the 12 months to August 2026, 58.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Breckland at a glance
- Crime trends in Breckland
- Types of crime in Breckland
- Home Office recorded crime in Breckland
- Breckland compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Breckland
- Streets with the most crime in Breckland
- What happened after crimes were reported in Breckland
- Demographics of Breckland
- Fly-tipping in Breckland
- Questions about crime in Breckland
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,795), anti-social behaviour (1,155) and criminal damage and arson (734) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 271st of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Breckland | Norfolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 8,523 | 66,675 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 58.1 | 70.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 146,620 | 940,359 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Breckland peaked in the year to August 2022 (10,353 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (8,396). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 8,523 | 58.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 8,396 | 57.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 8,872 | 60.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,078 | 61.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 10,353 | 70.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 9,823 | 67.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 9,793 | 66.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,430 | 64.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 9,513 | 64.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 752 |
| July 2026 | 886 |
| June 2026 | 804 |
| May 2026 | 704 |
| April 2026 | 742 |
| March 2026 | 703 |
| February 2026 | 589 |
| January 2026 | 630 |
| December 2025 | 669 |
| November 2025 | 674 |
| October 2025 | 704 |
| September 2025 | 666 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and robbery (88% below) and vehicle crime (73% below) were well below it. On the year before, drugs rose from 220 to 280 and burglary rose from 197 to 239.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,795 | 25.9 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,155 | 7.9 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 734 | 5.0 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Public order | 565 | 3.9 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 532 | 3.6 | 8.5 | -11% |
| Other theft | 531 | 3.6 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Other crime | 292 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -2% |
| Drugs | 280 | 1.9 | 3.3 | +27% |
| Burglary | 239 | 1.6 | 3.6 | +21% |
| Vehicle crime | 200 | 1.4 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Possession of weapons | 116 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +13% |
| Bicycle theft | 46 | 0.3 | 0.8 | -8% |
| Robbery | 24 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 14 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7,199 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Breckland in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 49.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 4% on the year ending March 2025 (7,503), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Breckland had the 29th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Norfolk Police area in the year ending March 2026, 1.1% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Breckland is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Breckland, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 1,369 offences (19% of the total). No category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate. Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for vehicle offences (0.29 times), residential burglary (0.33 times) and trafficking of drugs (0.40 times).
The largest rises on the year were in residential burglary (+15%) and stalking and harassment (+13%). The largest falls were in arson (−33%) and non-residential burglary (−21%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 1,369 | 9.3 | 13.2 | 0.71 | −6% |
| Violence with injury | 992 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 0.83 | −9% |
| Stalking and harassment | 797 | 5.4 | 10.1 | 0.54 | +13% |
| Criminal damage | 712 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 0.71 | −10% |
| Public order offences | 565 | 3.9 | 7.0 | 0.55 | −4% |
| Shoplifting | 564 | 3.8 | 8.1 | 0.47 | – |
| Other theft offences | 518 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.54 | −7% |
| Other sexual offences | 306 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 0.92 | +0% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 291 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.95 | −6% |
| Vehicle offences | 213 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 0.29 | +4% |
| Possession of drugs | 189 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.52 | −13% |
| Rape | 154 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.87 | +3% |
| Residential burglary | 121 | 0.83 | 2.5 | 0.33 | +15% |
| Possession of weapons | 120 | 0.82 | 1.00 | 0.82 | +6% |
| Non-residential burglary | 84 | 0.57 | 1.1 | 0.51 | −21% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 70 | 0.48 | 1.2 | 0.40 | −20% |
| Bicycle theft | 51 | 0.35 | 0.85 | 0.41 | 0% |
| Arson | 37 | 0.25 | 0.38 | 0.66 | −33% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.11 | 1.8 | 0.06 | −27% |
| Robbery of personal property | 15 | 0.10 | 0.91 | 0.11 | −21% |
| Robbery of business property | 10 | 0.07 | 0.47 | 0.14 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 5 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.98 | −50% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −100% |
Recorded crime in Breckland since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Breckland's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7,199 | 49.1 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 7,503 | 51.2 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 7,799 | 53.2 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 8,630 | 58.9 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 9,018 | 61.5 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 8,331 | 56.8 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 8,432 | 57.5 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 7,846 | 53.5 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 7,205 | 49.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 6,422 | 43.8 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 6,600 | 45.0 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 6,129 | 41.8 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 4,865 | 33.2 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 4,993 | 34.1 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Norfolk Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 7 districts in the Norfolk Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Breckland had the 4th highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 16,023 | 108.9 | 1.31 |
| Great Yarmouth | 9,663 | 96.1 | 1.15 |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 8,955 | 57.3 | 0.69 |
| Breckland | 7,199 | 49.1 | 0.59 |
| North Norfolk | 4,331 | 42.0 | 0.50 |
| South Norfolk | 6,192 | 41.7 | 0.50 |
| Broadland | 4,814 | 34.8 | 0.42 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
4 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Breckland; the highest is Norwich district (124.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Broadland (39.8).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Breckland |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Norfolk | 7,321 | 49.3 | -15% |
| Norwich | 18,355 | 124.7 | +115% |
| Broadland | 5,492 | 39.8 | -32% |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 10,306 | 66.0 | +13% |
| North Norfolk | 5,331 | 51.6 | -11% |
| West Suffolk | 11,225 | 59.6 | +2% |
| Mid Suffolk | 4,558 | 41.1 | -29% |
| East Cambridgeshire | 5,607 | 60.4 | +4% |
Of the 50 areas within Breckland, Dereham Neatherd had the highest crime rate (141.1 per 1,000) and Mundford the lowest (23.2), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dereham Neatherd | Neighbourhood | 7,791 | 1,099 | 141.1 |
| Thetford Priory | Neighbourhood | 7,833 | 867 | 110.7 |
| Thetford Castle | Neighbourhood | 6,458 | 667 | 103.3 |
| Thetford Burrell | Neighbourhood | 6,475 | 648 | 100.1 |
| Thetford | Town | 25,296 | 2,414 | 95.4 |
| Dereham | Town | 21,555 | 1,704 | 79.1 |
| Swaffham | Town | 7,584 | 597 | 78.7 |
| Swaffham | Neighbourhood | 9,541 | 694 | 72.7 |
| Narborough | Town | 2,553 | 148 | 58.0 |
| Nar Valley | Neighbourhood | 2,553 | 148 | 58.0 |
| Watton | Town | 13,301 | 764 | 57.4 |
| Attleborough Burgh & Haverscroft | Neighbourhood | 4,266 | 235 | 55.1 |
| Forest | Neighbourhood | 3,089 | 168 | 54.4 |
| Saham Toney | Neighbourhood | 6,068 | 326 | 53.7 |
| Attleborough | Town | 11,312 | 603 | 53.3 |
| Dereham Withburga | Neighbourhood | 4,715 | 251 | 53.2 |
| Banham | Town | 2,248 | 116 | 51.6 |
| Thetford Boudica | Neighbourhood | 4,530 | 232 | 51.2 |
| The Buckenhams & Banham | Neighbourhood | 4,070 | 197 | 48.4 |
| Watton | Neighbourhood | 9,544 | 460 | 48.2 |
| Hockering | Town | 1,349 | 63 | 46.7 |
| Attleborough Queens & Besthorpe | Neighbourhood | 9,540 | 427 | 44.8 |
| Old Buckenham | Town | 1,822 | 81 | 44.5 |
| Weeting | Town | 1,298 | 57 | 43.9 |
| Dereham Toftwood | Neighbourhood | 7,472 | 317 | 42.4 |
| Necton | Town | 2,312 | 90 | 38.9 |
| Whissonsett | Town | 2,160 | 81 | 37.5 |
| Hermitage | Neighbourhood | 2,160 | 81 | 37.5 |
| Great Ellingham | Town | 1,504 | 56 | 37.2 |
| Great Hockham | Town | 2,327 | 86 | 37.0 |
| Guiltcross | Neighbourhood | 4,048 | 149 | 36.8 |
| Lincoln | Neighbourhood | 10,007 | 366 | 36.6 |
| Harling & Heathlands | Neighbourhood | 3,177 | 116 | 36.5 |
| All Saints & Wayland | Neighbourhood | 6,471 | 233 | 36.0 |
| Launditch | Neighbourhood | 2,236 | 80 | 35.8 |
| North Lopham | Town | 2,425 | 86 | 35.5 |
| Upper Wensum | Neighbourhood | 5,109 | 178 | 34.8 |
| North Elmham | Town | 1,178 | 41 | 34.8 |
| Swanton Morley | Town | 1,742 | 57 | 32.7 |
| Ashill | Town | 2,635 | 86 | 32.6 |
| Mattishall | Neighbourhood | 6,140 | 198 | 32.2 |
| East Harling | Town | 2,013 | 58 | 28.8 |
| Shipdham | Town | 2,577 | 74 | 28.7 |
| Gressenhall | Town | 1,750 | 50 | 28.6 |
| Shipdham-with-Scarning | Neighbourhood | 4,154 | 111 | 26.7 |
| Bradenham | Town | 1,041 | 26 | 25.0 |
| Besthorpe | Town | 2,494 | 59 | 23.7 |
| Bedingfeld | Neighbourhood | 4,226 | 99 | 23.4 |
| Mattishall | Town | 1,678 | 39 | 23.2 |
| Mundford | Town | 2,159 | 50 | 23.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Breckland over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (609).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 609 |
| On or near Supermarket | 259 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 227 |
| On or near Stapleford Way | 135 |
| On or near St Nicholas Street | 102 |
| On or near Nightclub | 101 |
| On or near Nelson Place | 97 |
| On or near Church Street | 78 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 76 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 72 |
Of the 7,368 crimes in Breckland with a recorded outcome, 19% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,155 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,449 | 46.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,429 | 19.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 809 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 488 | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 319 | 4.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 288 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 218 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 198 | 2.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 88 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 40 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 15 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Breckland has an estimated population of 146,620 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.0%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%) and an older population (26%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Breckland average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Breckland | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 1.5% | 10.1% (England) |
830 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Breckland in 2024/25 (5.7 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Breckland has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Breckland a safe place to live?
Breckland recorded 58.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 271st of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Breckland?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,795 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,155).
Is crime in Breckland going up or down?
Recorded crime in Breckland was up 2% on the year before: 8,523 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 8,396 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Breckland?
About 146,620 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Breckland?
Breckland is policed by Norfolk.
How many crimes did the police record in Breckland in the year ending March 2026?
7,199 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 49.1 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 7,503.
Which offences are more common in Breckland than across England and Wales?
None: no category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate in the year ending March 2026. The largest category was violence without injury (1,369).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.