Crime in Folkestone and Hythe: statistics, rates and trends
9,645 crimes were recorded in Folkestone and Hythe in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Folkestone and Hythe at a glance
- Crime trends in Folkestone and Hythe
- Types of crime in Folkestone and Hythe
- Folkestone and Hythe compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Folkestone and Hythe
- Streets with the most crime in Folkestone and Hythe
- What happened after crimes were reported in Folkestone and Hythe
- Demographics of Folkestone and Hythe
- Fly-tipping in Folkestone and Hythe
- Questions about crime in Folkestone and Hythe
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,395), anti-social behaviour (1,854) and criminal damage and arson (887) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 156th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Folkestone and Hythe | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 9,645 | 145,778 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.8 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 112,411 | 1,639,029 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Folkestone and Hythe peaked in the year to August 2020 (13,102 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (9,541). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 9,645 | 85.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,541 | 84.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,839 | 87.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 10,459 | 93.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,828 | 105.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,049 | 107.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 13,102 | 116.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 12,517 | 111.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 12,756 | 113.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,010 |
| July 2026 | 1,024 |
| June 2026 | 885 |
| May 2026 | 789 |
| April 2026 | 745 |
| March 2026 | 837 |
| February 2026 | 710 |
| January 2026 | 721 |
| December 2025 | 714 |
| November 2025 | 813 |
| October 2025 | 749 |
| September 2025 | 648 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (78% below) and vehicle crime (50% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 55 to 83 and possession of weapons rose from 90 to 133, while theft from the person fell from 49 to 41.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,395 | 30.2 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,854 | 16.5 | 15.4 | +35% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 887 | 7.9 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 840 | 7.5 | 8.5 | +9% |
| Other theft | 695 | 6.2 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Drugs | 435 | 3.9 | 3.3 | +9% |
| Public order | 424 | 3.8 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Other crime | 282 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 280 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +7% |
| Burglary | 236 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Possession of weapons | 133 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +48% |
| Robbery | 83 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +51% |
| Bicycle theft | 60 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +33% |
| Theft from the person | 41 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Folkestone and Hythe; the highest is Hastings district (146.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Rother (72.0).
Of the 24 areas within Folkestone and Hythe, Folkestone Central had the highest crime rate (229.0 per 1,000) and Lympne the lowest (21.8), 11 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone Central | Neighbourhood | 12,017 | 2,752 | 229.0 |
| Folkestone | Town | 54,005 | 6,682 | 123.7 |
| Folkestone Harbour | Neighbourhood | 7,023 | 850 | 121.0 |
| Broadmead | Neighbourhood | 4,909 | 584 | 119.0 |
| East Folkestone | Neighbourhood | 10,610 | 1,033 | 97.4 |
| New Romney | Town | 4,035 | 336 | 83.3 |
| Cheriton | Neighbourhood | 13,977 | 1,154 | 82.6 |
| Hythe | Neighbourhood | 10,216 | 661 | 64.7 |
| New Romney | Neighbourhood | 7,407 | 452 | 61.0 |
| Walland & Denge Marsh | Neighbourhood | 7,588 | 450 | 59.3 |
| Lydd | Town | 3,908 | 227 | 58.1 |
| Sandgate & West Folkestone | Neighbourhood | 5,469 | 309 | 56.5 |
| Dymchurch | Town | 3,483 | 194 | 55.7 |
| Hawkinge | Town | 8,689 | 446 | 51.3 |
| Hythe | Town | 13,677 | 663 | 48.5 |
| Romney Marsh | Neighbourhood | 7,359 | 350 | 47.6 |
| North Downs East | Neighbourhood | 14,109 | 656 | 46.5 |
| Sellindge | Town | 2,129 | 81 | 38.0 |
| Littlestone-on-Sea | Town | 5,671 | 209 | 36.9 |
| Hythe Rural | Neighbourhood | 6,802 | 232 | 34.1 |
| North Downs West | Neighbourhood | 4,925 | 162 | 32.9 |
| St Mary's Bay | Town | 2,650 | 86 | 32.5 |
| Lyminge | Town | 1,295 | 37 | 28.6 |
| Lympne | Town | 1,880 | 41 | 21.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Folkestone and Hythe over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (541).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 541 |
| On or near Supermarket | 415 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 232 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 207 |
| On or near Police Station | 168 |
| On or near Sussex Road | 153 |
| On or near Marine Terrace | 146 |
| On or near Cheriton Interchange | 144 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 118 |
| On or near West Terrace | 115 |
Of the 7,791 crimes in Folkestone and Hythe with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,854 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,895 | 37.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,532 | 32.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 649 | 8.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 583 | 7.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 312 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 246 | 3.2% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 236 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 180 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 101 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 28 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Folkestone and Hythe has an estimated population of 112,411 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%), less social housing (11%, against 17%) and an older population (26%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Folkestone and Hythe average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Folkestone and Hythe | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 7.6% | 10.1% (England) |
2,200 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Folkestone and Hythe in 2024/25 (19.6 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 Folkestone and Hythe has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Folkestone and Hythe a safe place to live?
Folkestone and Hythe recorded 85.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 156th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Folkestone and Hythe?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,395 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,854).
Is crime in Folkestone and Hythe going up or down?
Recorded crime in Folkestone and Hythe was up 1% on the year before: 9,645 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,541 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Folkestone and Hythe?
About 112,411 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Folkestone and Hythe?
Folkestone and Hythe is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.