Crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk: statistics, rates and trends
10,306 crimes were recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the 12 months to August 2026, 66.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk at a glance
- Crime trends in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Types of crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Home Office recorded crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk compared with nearby districts
- Areas within King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Streets with the most crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- What happened after crimes were reported in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Demographics of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Fly-tipping in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Questions about crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,460), anti-social behaviour (1,133) and criminal damage and arson (933) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 237th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Norfolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,306 | 66,675 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 66.0 | 70.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 156,206 | 940,359 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk of any year here (10,306 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,306 | 66.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,483 | 67.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,326 | 66.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,199 | 71.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,082 | 77.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 11,254 | 72.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 11,473 | 73.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 11,265 | 72.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 11,534 | 73.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 958 |
| July 2026 | 1,042 |
| June 2026 | 969 |
| May 2026 | 942 |
| April 2026 | 890 |
| March 2026 | 829 |
| February 2026 | 720 |
| January 2026 | 763 |
| December 2025 | 736 |
| November 2025 | 795 |
| October 2025 | 794 |
| September 2025 | 868 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (82% below) and robbery (77% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 30 to 48, while possession of weapons fell from 136 to 113 and vehicle crime fell from 271 to 229.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,460 | 28.6 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,133 | 7.3 | 15.4 | -13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 933 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 882 | 5.6 | 8.5 | +11% |
| Public order | 708 | 4.5 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Other theft | 694 | 4.4 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Drugs | 369 | 2.4 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Burglary | 296 | 1.9 | 3.6 | +14% |
| Other crime | 291 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 229 | 1.5 | 5.0 | -15% |
| Possession of weapons | 113 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -17% |
| Bicycle theft | 104 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -10% |
| Robbery | 48 | 0.3 | 1.4 | +60% |
| Theft from the person | 46 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -8% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
8,955 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 57.3 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 5% on the year ending March 2025 (9,378), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, King's Lynn and West Norfolk had the 71st 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 1,741 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 theft from the person (0.19 times), robbery of personal property (0.19 times) and vehicle offences (0.26 times).
The largest rises on the year were in robbery of personal property (+29%). The largest falls were in vehicle offences (−29%) and trafficking of drugs (−27%). 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 | 1,741 | 11.1 | 13.2 | 0.84 | −0% |
| Violence with injury | 1,296 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 1.02 | +9% |
| Stalking and harassment | 896 | 5.7 | 10.1 | 0.57 | −6% |
| Criminal damage | 884 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 0.83 | −6% |
| Shoplifting | 804 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 0.63 | – |
| Public order offences | 729 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 0.67 | −5% |
| Other theft offences | 661 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 0.65 | +10% |
| Other sexual offences | 317 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 0.89 | +3% |
| Possession of drugs | 303 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 0.78 | −25% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 282 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.86 | −8% |
| Vehicle offences | 201 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 0.26 | −29% |
| Residential burglary | 181 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.47 | −18% |
| Rape | 140 | 0.90 | 1.2 | 0.74 | 0% |
| Possession of weapons | 125 | 0.80 | 1.00 | 0.80 | −14% |
| Non-residential burglary | 106 | 0.68 | 1.1 | 0.61 | +1% |
| Bicycle theft | 100 | 0.64 | 0.85 | 0.75 | −21% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 65 | 0.42 | 1.2 | 0.35 | −27% |
| Theft from the person | 52 | 0.33 | 1.8 | 0.19 | +4% |
| Arson | 29 | 0.19 | 0.38 | 0.49 | −3% |
| Robbery of personal property | 27 | 0.17 | 0.91 | 0.19 | +29% |
| Robbery of business property | 12 | 0.08 | 0.47 | 0.16 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 4 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.73 | −50% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −100% |
Recorded crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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. King's Lynn and West Norfolk'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 | 8,955 | 57.3 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 9,378 | 60.0 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 9,410 | 60.2 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 10,791 | 69.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 10,213 | 65.4 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 9,514 | 60.9 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 9,636 | 61.7 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 9,460 | 60.6 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 8,730 | 55.9 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 7,764 | 49.7 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 7,571 | 48.5 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 7,077 | 45.3 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 5,986 | 38.3 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 5,891 | 37.7 | 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, King's Lynn and West Norfolk had the 3rd 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk; the highest is Peterborough district (125.9 per 1,000) and the lowest North Norfolk (51.6).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenland | 9,525 | 90.8 | +38% |
| Breckland | 8,523 | 58.1 | -12% |
| South Holland | 7,899 | 79.5 | +21% |
| Boston | 7,787 | 109.6 | +66% |
| East Cambridgeshire | 5,607 | 60.4 | -9% |
| Peterborough | 28,159 | 125.9 | +91% |
| West Suffolk | 11,225 | 59.6 | -10% |
| North Norfolk | 5,331 | 51.6 | -22% |
Of the 56 areas within King's Lynn and West Norfolk, St. Margaret's with St. Nicholas had the highest crime rate (350.4 per 1,000) and Marham the lowest (9.1), 39 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Margaret's with St. Nicholas | Neighbourhood | 5,266 | 1,845 | 350.4 |
| Gaywood Clock | Neighbourhood | 2,065 | 328 | 158.8 |
| North Lynn | Neighbourhood | 7,139 | 938 | 131.4 |
| South & West Lynn | Neighbourhood | 5,799 | 751 | 129.5 |
| King's Lynn | Town | 49,456 | 5,606 | 113.4 |
| Downham Old Town | Neighbourhood | 3,208 | 357 | 111.3 |
| Springwood | Neighbourhood | 4,562 | 421 | 92.3 |
| Gaywood Chase | Neighbourhood | 3,134 | 283 | 90.3 |
| Fairstead | Neighbourhood | 6,938 | 601 | 86.6 |
| Emneth & Outwell | Neighbourhood | 5,213 | 417 | 80.0 |
| Wiggenhall St Germans | Town | 2,142 | 161 | 75.2 |
| Hunstanton | Town | 3,915 | 286 | 73.1 |
| Elm and Emneth | Town | 5,590 | 402 | 71.9 |
| Upwell and Outwell | Town | 3,200 | 196 | 61.2 |
| Downham Market | Town | 11,309 | 667 | 59.0 |
| West Winch | Neighbourhood | 4,556 | 267 | 58.6 |
| Walsoken, West Walton & Walpole | Neighbourhood | 6,882 | 395 | 57.4 |
| Tilney, Mershe Lande & Wiggenhall | Neighbourhood | 6,214 | 322 | 51.8 |
| Brancaster | Town | 1,150 | 59 | 51.3 |
| Brancaster | Neighbourhood | 2,384 | 121 | 50.8 |
| Burnham Market | Town | 1,403 | 70 | 49.9 |
| East Downham | Neighbourhood | 3,251 | 154 | 47.4 |
| Terrington | Neighbourhood | 5,285 | 246 | 46.5 |
| Terrington St Clement | Town | 3,545 | 160 | 45.1 |
| Burnham Market & Docking | Neighbourhood | 3,226 | 140 | 43.4 |
| Marshland St James | Town | 1,500 | 65 | 43.3 |
| Methwold | Neighbourhood | 2,697 | 116 | 43.0 |
| Gayton (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) | Town | 2,562 | 103 | 40.2 |
| Watlington (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) | Town | 2,628 | 105 | 40.0 |
| West Walton | Town | 1,431 | 57 | 39.8 |
| Southery | Town | 1,474 | 57 | 38.7 |
| Middleton (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) | Town | 1,374 | 53 | 38.6 |
| Gayton & Grimston | Neighbourhood | 7,570 | 289 | 38.2 |
| Upwell & Delph | Neighbourhood | 5,319 | 202 | 38.0 |
| Tilney St Lawrence | Town | 2,572 | 96 | 37.3 |
| Heacham | Neighbourhood | 5,537 | 196 | 35.4 |
| South Downham | Neighbourhood | 2,358 | 82 | 34.8 |
| Bircham with Rudhams | Neighbourhood | 2,107 | 73 | 34.6 |
| Watlington | Neighbourhood | 3,824 | 132 | 34.5 |
| Gaywood North Bank | Neighbourhood | 7,696 | 259 | 33.7 |
| Hockwold cum Wilton | Town | 1,671 | 56 | 33.5 |
| Heacham | Town | 4,487 | 148 | 33.0 |
| Denver | Neighbourhood | 2,493 | 80 | 32.1 |
| West Winch | Town | 1,502 | 47 | 31.3 |
| Wissey | Neighbourhood | 2,581 | 77 | 29.8 |
| North Downham | Neighbourhood | 2,492 | 74 | 29.7 |
| Feltwell | Neighbourhood | 6,198 | 176 | 28.4 |
| Airfield | Neighbourhood | 7,280 | 206 | 28.3 |
| Clenchwarton | Town | 2,295 | 62 | 27.0 |
| The Woottons | Neighbourhood | 6,857 | 180 | 26.3 |
| Massingham with Castle Acre | Neighbourhood | 2,272 | 58 | 25.5 |
| Snettisham | Town | 2,915 | 69 | 23.7 |
| Dersingham | Town | 4,678 | 103 | 22.0 |
| Feltwell | Town | 3,053 | 63 | 20.6 |
| Pott Row | Town | 1,198 | 22 | 18.4 |
| Marham | Town | 3,522 | 32 | 9.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 17% of the crime recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (377).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 377 |
| On or near Parking Area | 372 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 159 |
| On or near Hospital | 156 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 153 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 151 |
| On or near Sir Lewis Street | 114 |
| On or near High Road | 96 |
| On or near Purfleet | 79 |
| On or near Mulberry Road | 72 |
Of the 9,173 crimes in King's Lynn and West Norfolk with a recorded outcome, 19% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,133 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,266 | 46.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,711 | 18.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 855 | 9.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 737 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 528 | 5.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 452 | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 215 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 198 | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 132 | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 41 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 23 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
King's Lynn and West Norfolk has an estimated population of 156,206 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (3.9%, against 7.9%), an older population (27%, against 19%) and more retired residents (30%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up King's Lynn and West Norfolk average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 5.8% | 10.1% (England) |
1,831 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in 2024/25 (11.7 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is King's Lynn and West Norfolk a safe place to live?
King's Lynn and West Norfolk recorded 66.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 237th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,460 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,133).
Is crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk going up or down?
Recorded crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk was down 2% on the year before: 10,306 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,483 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
About 156,206 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
King's Lynn and West Norfolk is policed by Norfolk.
How many crimes did the police record in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the year ending March 2026?
8,955 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 57.3 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 9,378.
Which offences are more common in King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 (1,741).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.