Crime in Cheshire West and Chester: statistics, rates and trends
27,265 crimes were recorded in Cheshire West and Chester in the 12 months to August 2026, 73.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Cheshire West and Chester at a glance
- Crime trends in Cheshire West and Chester
- Types of crime in Cheshire West and Chester
- Home Office recorded crime in Cheshire West and Chester
- Cheshire West and Chester compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Cheshire West and Chester
- Streets with the most crime in Cheshire West and Chester
- What happened after crimes were reported in Cheshire West and Chester
- Demographics of Cheshire West and Chester
- Fly-tipping in Cheshire West and Chester
- Questions about crime in Cheshire West and Chester
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (12,344), public order (3,163) and anti-social behaviour (2,646) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 203rd of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Cheshire West and Chester | North West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 27,265 | 439,611 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 73.4 | 93.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 371,652 | 4,727,750 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Cheshire West and Chester peaked in the year to August 2018 (33,743 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (26,340). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 19%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 27,265 | 73.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 26,340 | 70.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 27,554 | 74.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 29,127 | 78.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 30,602 | 82.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 32,551 | 87.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 33,042 | 88.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 32,211 | 86.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 33,743 | 90.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,404 |
| July 2026 | 2,710 |
| June 2026 | 2,500 |
| May 2026 | 2,409 |
| April 2026 | 2,193 |
| March 2026 | 2,263 |
| February 2026 | 1,965 |
| January 2026 | 2,033 |
| December 2025 | 2,183 |
| November 2025 | 2,209 |
| October 2025 | 2,284 |
| September 2025 | 2,112 |
Compared with England and Wales, Cheshire West and Chester recorded notably more public order (28% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (88% below) and robbery (71% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 873 to 1,068 and shoplifting rose from 1,860 to 2,197.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 12,344 | 33.2 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Public order | 3,163 | 8.5 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,646 | 7.1 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 2,197 | 5.9 | 8.5 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,717 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Other theft | 1,595 | 4.3 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Drugs | 1,068 | 2.9 | 3.3 | +22% |
| Burglary | 743 | 2.0 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Other crime | 589 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 582 | 1.6 | 5.0 | +17% |
| Possession of weapons | 228 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +5% |
| Bicycle theft | 167 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -11% |
| Robbery | 148 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +7% |
| Theft from the person | 78 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -6% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
24,822 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Cheshire West and Chester in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 66.8 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (24,801), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Cheshire West and Chester had the 106th 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).
Offences recorded in Cheshire West and Chester, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 4,231 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for public order offences (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.13 times), robbery of business property (0.26 times) and vehicle offences (0.28 times).
The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (+50%) and possession of drugs (+18%). The largest falls were in other theft offences (−14%) and arson (−14%). 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 | 4,231 | 11.4 | 13.2 | 0.86 | +4% |
| Stalking and harassment | 4,161 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 1.11 | −5% |
| Public order offences | 3,240 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 1.25 | +3% |
| Violence with injury | 2,885 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 0.95 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 2,148 | 5.8 | 8.1 | 0.71 | – |
| Criminal damage | 1,681 | 4.5 | 6.8 | 0.66 | −8% |
| Other theft offences | 1,505 | 4.0 | 6.5 | 0.62 | −14% |
| Possession of drugs | 948 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.02 | +18% |
| Other sexual offences | 882 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.04 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 633 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.81 | −4% |
| Vehicle offences | 521 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 0.28 | +0% |
| Rape | 461 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.03 | +2% |
| Residential burglary | 461 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.50 | −13% |
| Possession of weapons | 231 | 0.62 | 1.00 | 0.62 | +2% |
| Non-residential burglary | 187 | 0.50 | 1.1 | 0.45 | −6% |
| Bicycle theft | 176 | 0.47 | 0.85 | 0.56 | −6% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 171 | 0.46 | 1.2 | 0.39 | +50% |
| Robbery of personal property | 100 | 0.27 | 0.91 | 0.30 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 83 | 0.22 | 1.8 | 0.13 | −10% |
| Arson | 62 | 0.17 | 0.38 | 0.44 | −14% |
| Robbery of business property | 46 | 0.12 | 0.47 | 0.26 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 8 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.62 | −38% |
| Homicide | 1 | <0.01 | 0.01 | 0.34 | −67% |
Recorded crime in Cheshire West and Chester since the year ending March 2019
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2019 to 2026. Cheshire West and Chester's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 8 years. The series starts in the year ending March 2019 because the share of crimes in the Cheshire Police area not assigned to a district moved from 7.2% in the year ending March 2018 to 0.3% in the year ending March 2019, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
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 | 24,822 | 66.8 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 24,801 | 66.7 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 25,170 | 67.7 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 27,522 | 74.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 28,608 | 77.0 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 25,471 | 68.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 28,885 | 77.7 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 29,146 | 78.4 | 84.1 |
Districts in the Cheshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 4 districts in the Cheshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Cheshire West and Chester had the 2nd lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halton | 11,141 | 84.7 | 1.02 |
| Warrington | 15,156 | 70.4 | 0.85 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 24,822 | 66.8 | 0.80 |
| Cheshire East | 25,693 | 61.0 | 0.73 |
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.
Every one of the 8 nearest districts has a higher crime rate than Cheshire West and Chester.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Cheshire West and Chester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halton | 12,012 | 91.3 | +24% |
| Flintshire | 11,941 | 76.6 | +4% |
| Warrington | 16,060 | 74.6 | +2% |
| Liverpool | 69,301 | 136.2 | +86% |
| Knowsley | 14,983 | 92.2 | +26% |
| St. Helens | 17,904 | 94.8 | +29% |
| Wirral | 26,029 | 79.1 | +8% |
| Wrexham | 13,929 | 100.8 | +37% |
Of the 70 areas within Cheshire West and Chester, Wolverham had the highest crime rate (250.8 per 1,000) and Kelsall the lowest (15.2), 17 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverham | Neighbourhood | 4,525 | 1,135 | 250.8 |
| Chester City & the Garden Quarter | Neighbourhood | 19,691 | 4,537 | 230.4 |
| Northwich Leftwich | Neighbourhood | 5,835 | 1,036 | 177.5 |
| Westminster | Neighbourhood | 6,896 | 885 | 128.3 |
| Central & Grange | Neighbourhood | 15,872 | 1,929 | 121.5 |
| Winsford Wharton | Neighbourhood | 5,846 | 684 | 117.0 |
| Winsford Dene | Neighbourhood | 5,015 | 545 | 108.7 |
| Northwich | Town | 19,172 | 2,035 | 106.1 |
| Chester | Town | 92,648 | 9,531 | 102.9 |
| Northwich Witton | Neighbourhood | 5,127 | 520 | 101.4 |
| Neston | Neighbourhood | 4,225 | 406 | 96.1 |
| Blacon | Neighbourhood | 13,721 | 1,312 | 95.6 |
| Upton | Neighbourhood | 12,742 | 1,203 | 94.4 |
| Ellesmere Port | Town | 69,545 | 6,493 | 93.4 |
| Winsford | Town | 35,401 | 3,082 | 87.1 |
| Sutton Villages | Neighbourhood | 10,502 | 861 | 82.0 |
| Whitby Park | Neighbourhood | 5,760 | 459 | 79.7 |
| Winsford Over & Verdin | Neighbourhood | 17,329 | 1,289 | 74.4 |
| Winsford Swanlow | Neighbourhood | 5,084 | 378 | 74.4 |
| Whitby Groves | Neighbourhood | 4,357 | 316 | 72.5 |
| Handbridge Park | Neighbourhood | 8,900 | 600 | 67.4 |
| Winsford Gravel | Neighbourhood | 4,076 | 265 | 65.0 |
| Malpas | Town | 3,510 | 204 | 58.1 |
| Newton & Hoole | Neighbourhood | 15,636 | 878 | 56.2 |
| Lostock Gralam | Town | 3,505 | 192 | 54.8 |
| Frodsham | Town | 9,208 | 503 | 54.6 |
| Netherpool | Neighbourhood | 4,915 | 266 | 54.1 |
| Lache | Neighbourhood | 6,561 | 355 | 54.1 |
| Northwich Winnington & Castle | Neighbourhood | 9,100 | 476 | 52.3 |
| Neston (Cheshire West and Chester) | Town | 14,599 | 755 | 51.7 |
| Malpas | Neighbourhood | 5,210 | 268 | 51.4 |
| Saughall | Town | 3,590 | 172 | 47.9 |
| Saughall & Mollington | Neighbourhood | 3,590 | 172 | 47.9 |
| Barnton | Town | 5,740 | 273 | 47.6 |
| Mickle Trafford | Town | 2,373 | 110 | 46.4 |
| Shakerley | Neighbourhood | 6,163 | 285 | 46.2 |
| Hartford & Greenbank | Neighbourhood | 9,579 | 440 | 45.9 |
| Gowy Rural | Neighbourhood | 10,071 | 440 | 43.7 |
| Elton (Cheshire West and Chester) | Town | 2,943 | 124 | 42.1 |
| Great Boughton | Neighbourhood | 12,103 | 498 | 41.1 |
| Rudheath | Town | 5,453 | 224 | 41.1 |
| Christleton & Huntington | Neighbourhood | 12,910 | 524 | 40.6 |
| Davenham | Town | 15,322 | 598 | 39.0 |
| Hartford | Town | 6,633 | 256 | 38.6 |
| Marbury | Neighbourhood | 11,418 | 437 | 38.3 |
| Weaverham | Town | 6,603 | 251 | 38.0 |
| Cuddington (Cheshire West and Chester) | Town | 5,325 | 201 | 37.7 |
| Weaver & Cuddington | Neighbourhood | 18,503 | 698 | 37.7 |
| No Man's Heath | Town | 1,700 | 64 | 37.6 |
| Little Neston | Neighbourhood | 6,432 | 242 | 37.6 |
| Helsby | Town | 5,396 | 198 | 36.7 |
| Davenham, Moulton & Kingsmead | Neighbourhood | 11,486 | 417 | 36.3 |
| Farndon | Neighbourhood | 4,840 | 167 | 34.5 |
| Tarporley | Neighbourhood | 4,781 | 161 | 33.7 |
| Ledsham & Manor | Neighbourhood | 10,729 | 353 | 32.9 |
| Tattenhall | Neighbourhood | 4,483 | 147 | 32.8 |
| Strawberry | Neighbourhood | 4,740 | 155 | 32.7 |
| Christleton and Waverton | Town | 3,299 | 105 | 31.8 |
| Willaston & Thornton | Neighbourhood | 4,393 | 134 | 30.5 |
| Tarporley | Town | 3,314 | 101 | 30.5 |
| Tattenhall | Town | 2,141 | 60 | 28.0 |
| Duddon | Town | 1,743 | 48 | 27.5 |
| Tarvin & Kelsall | Neighbourhood | 8,912 | 245 | 27.5 |
| Tarvin | Town | 3,219 | 88 | 27.3 |
| Farndon (Cheshire West and Chester) | Town | 2,641 | 69 | 26.1 |
| Parkgate | Neighbourhood | 5,665 | 136 | 24.0 |
| Sandstone | Neighbourhood | 3,872 | 86 | 22.2 |
| Guilden Sutton | Town | 1,446 | 27 | 18.7 |
| Willaston (Cheshire West and Chester) | Town | 2,700 | 48 | 17.8 |
| Kelsall | Town | 2,242 | 34 | 15.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Cheshire West and Chester over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,366).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,366 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,174 |
| On or near Supermarket | 752 |
| On or near Nightclub | 634 |
| On or near Hospital | 485 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 409 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 326 |
| On or near Police Station | 159 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 157 |
| On or near High Street | 140 |
Of the 24,619 crimes in Cheshire West and Chester with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,646 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 10,479 | 42.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,745 | 23.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,636 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,929 | 7.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,420 | 5.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 980 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 552 | 2.2% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 416 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 154 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 106 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 105 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 97 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
Cheshire West and Chester has an estimated population of 371,652 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%) and less private renting (16%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cheshire West and Chester average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Cheshire West and Chester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 7.9% | 10.1% (England) |
4,017 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Cheshire West and Chester in 2024/25 (10.8 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 Cheshire West and Chester has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Cheshire West and Chester a safe place to live?
Cheshire West and Chester recorded 73.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 203rd of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order.
What is the most common crime in Cheshire West and Chester?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 12,344 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (3,163).
Is crime in Cheshire West and Chester going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cheshire West and Chester was up 4% on the year before: 27,265 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 26,340 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cheshire West and Chester?
About 371,652 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cheshire West and Chester?
Cheshire West and Chester is policed by Cheshire.
How many crimes did the police record in Cheshire West and Chester in the year ending March 2026?
24,822 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 66.8 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 24,801.
Which offences are more common in Cheshire West and Chester than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were public order offences (3,240 offences, 1.3 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.