Crime in St. Helens: statistics, rates and trends
17,904 crimes were recorded in St. Helens in the 12 months to August 2026, 94.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St. Helens at a glance
- Crime trends in St. Helens
- Types of crime in St. Helens
- Home Office recorded crime in St. Helens
- St. Helens compared with nearby districts
- Areas within St. Helens
- Streets with the most crime in St. Helens
- What happened after crimes were reported in St. Helens
- Demographics of St. Helens
- Fly-tipping in St. Helens
- Questions about crime in St. Helens
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (7,509), anti-social behaviour (1,712) and public order (1,603) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 115th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | St. Helens | North West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 17,904 | 439,611 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 94.8 | 93.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 188,861 | 4,727,750 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St. Helens peaked in the year to August 2022 (24,205 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (17,891). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 17,904 | 94.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 17,891 | 94.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 18,748 | 99.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 21,997 | 116.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 24,205 | 128.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 22,763 | 120.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 21,762 | 115.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 19,977 | 105.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 20,777 | 110.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,587 |
| July 2026 | 1,644 |
| June 2026 | 1,598 |
| May 2026 | 1,414 |
| April 2026 | 1,490 |
| March 2026 | 1,656 |
| February 2026 | 1,226 |
| January 2026 | 1,290 |
| December 2025 | 1,363 |
| November 2025 | 1,429 |
| October 2025 | 1,626 |
| September 2025 | 1,581 |
Compared with England and Wales, St. Helens recorded notably more drugs (2.0 times the national rate) and public order (27% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (80% below) and robbery (53% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 1,133 to 1,355, while burglary fell from 525 to 438.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,509 | 39.8 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,712 | 9.1 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Public order | 1,603 | 8.5 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,486 | 7.9 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 1,355 | 7.2 | 8.5 | +20% |
| Drugs | 1,254 | 6.6 | 3.3 | -2% |
| Other theft | 915 | 4.8 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Vehicle crime | 707 | 3.7 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Other crime | 488 | 2.6 | 2.1 | +9% |
| Burglary | 438 | 2.3 | 3.6 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 162 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +8% |
| Robbery | 121 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +6% |
| Bicycle theft | 92 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +2% |
| Theft from the person | 62 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
16,310 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in St. Helens in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 86.4 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 2% on the year ending March 2025 (15,998), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, St. Helens had the 92nd highest 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 St. Helens, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 3,022 offences (19% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for possession of drugs (2.5 times the national rate) and public order offences (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.20 times), robbery of personal property (0.37 times) and rape (0.60 times).
The largest rises on the year were in theft from the person (+37%) and bicycle theft (+30%). The largest falls were in other theft offences (−15%) and rape (−13%). 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 | 3,022 | 16.0 | 13.2 | 1.21 | +5% |
| Stalking and harassment | 2,148 | 11.4 | 10.1 | 1.13 | −2% |
| Public order offences | 1,761 | 9.3 | 7.0 | 1.34 | −4% |
| Violence with injury | 1,656 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 1.08 | −6% |
| Criminal damage | 1,473 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 1.14 | +12% |
| Shoplifting | 1,258 | 6.7 | 8.1 | 0.82 | – |
| Possession of drugs | 1,162 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 2.47 | +11% |
| Other theft offences | 924 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 0.75 | −15% |
| Vehicle offences | 609 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 0.64 | −3% |
| Other sexual offences | 498 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.16 | +6% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 455 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.15 | +5% |
| Residential burglary | 310 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.66 | −7% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 231 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.03 | −4% |
| Non-residential burglary | 148 | 0.78 | 1.1 | 0.70 | −13% |
| Possession of weapons | 139 | 0.74 | 1.00 | 0.74 | +30% |
| Rape | 137 | 0.73 | 1.2 | 0.60 | −13% |
| Bicycle theft | 107 | 0.57 | 0.85 | 0.66 | +30% |
| Arson | 79 | 0.42 | 0.38 | 1.10 | +7% |
| Theft from the person | 67 | 0.35 | 1.8 | 0.20 | +37% |
| Robbery of personal property | 64 | 0.34 | 0.91 | 0.37 | −3% |
| Robbery of business property | 54 | 0.29 | 0.47 | 0.60 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 5 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.76 | 0% |
| Homicide | 3 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 1.98 | +50% |
Recorded crime in St. Helens 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. St. Helens's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 11 of those 14 years and below it in 3. 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 | 16,310 | 86.4 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 15,998 | 84.7 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 18,106 | 95.9 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 20,990 | 111.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 21,067 | 111.5 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 16,157 | 85.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 16,956 | 89.8 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 15,970 | 84.6 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 14,556 | 77.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 13,479 | 71.4 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 11,931 | 63.2 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 12,042 | 63.8 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 10,559 | 55.9 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 9,787 | 51.8 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Merseyside Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 5 districts in the Merseyside Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, St. Helens had the 2nd highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 63,156 | 124.1 | 1.49 |
| St. Helens | 16,310 | 86.4 | 1.04 |
| Knowsley | 13,305 | 81.8 | 0.98 |
| Sefton | 21,620 | 75.5 | 0.91 |
| Wirral | 23,378 | 71.1 | 0.85 |
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.
1 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than St. Helens; the highest is Liverpool district (136.2 per 1,000) and the lowest West Lancashire (61.8).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St. Helens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowsley | 14,983 | 92.2 | -3% |
| Warrington | 16,060 | 74.6 | -21% |
| Halton | 12,012 | 91.3 | -4% |
| Liverpool | 69,301 | 136.2 | +44% |
| West Lancashire | 7,540 | 61.8 | -35% |
| Sefton | 24,393 | 85.2 | -10% |
| Chorley | 9,473 | 78.4 | -17% |
| Wirral | 26,029 | 79.1 | -17% |
Of the 23 areas within St. Helens, St Helens Town Centre had the highest crime rate (320.3 per 1,000) and Rainford the lowest (34.4), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens Town Centre | Neighbourhood | 11,289 | 3,616 | 320.3 |
| Peasley Cross & Fingerpost | Neighbourhood | 4,260 | 1,286 | 301.9 |
| Parr | Neighbourhood | 14,888 | 2,055 | 138.0 |
| St Helens (St. Helens) | Town | 102,380 | 12,250 | 119.7 |
| West Park | Neighbourhood | 12,081 | 1,089 | 90.1 |
| Newton-le-Willows West | Neighbourhood | 14,048 | 1,162 | 82.7 |
| Thatto Heath | Neighbourhood | 12,706 | 1,013 | 79.7 |
| Sutton South East | Neighbourhood | 8,152 | 649 | 79.6 |
| Newton-le-Willows | Town | 26,409 | 2,096 | 79.4 |
| Bold & Lea Green | Neighbourhood | 12,187 | 965 | 79.2 |
| Blackbrook | Neighbourhood | 10,754 | 831 | 77.3 |
| Haydock | Neighbourhood | 11,640 | 880 | 75.6 |
| Newton-le-Willows East | Neighbourhood | 12,361 | 934 | 75.6 |
| Haydock | Town | 14,539 | 1,080 | 74.3 |
| Moss Bank | Neighbourhood | 10,559 | 776 | 73.5 |
| Windle | Neighbourhood | 9,292 | 622 | 66.9 |
| Sutton North West | Neighbourhood | 4,656 | 305 | 65.5 |
| Rainhill | Neighbourhood | 11,157 | 608 | 54.5 |
| Eccleston | Neighbourhood | 10,915 | 461 | 42.2 |
| Billinge & Seneley Green | Neighbourhood | 9,979 | 375 | 37.6 |
| Billinge | Town | 5,946 | 221 | 37.2 |
| Rainford | Neighbourhood | 7,937 | 277 | 34.9 |
| Rainford | Town | 5,375 | 185 | 34.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 16% of the crime recorded in St. Helens over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (523).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 523 |
| On or near Supermarket | 499 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 385 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 350 |
| On or near Nightclub | 334 |
| On or near Police Station | 234 |
| On or near William Street | 142 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 138 |
| On or near Linkway West | 130 |
| On or near Shaw Street | 128 |
Of the 16,192 crimes in St. Helens with a recorded outcome, 27% 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 1,712 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 6,851 | 42.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,332 | 26.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,759 | 10.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,219 | 7.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 607 | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 474 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 432 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 183 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 172 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 112 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 46 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
St. Helens has an estimated population of 188,861 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.2%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St. Helens average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | St. Helens | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 23.7% | 10.1% (England) |
1,366 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in St. Helens in 2024/25 (7.2 per 1,000 residents; the council counts only fly-tips reported by the public), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in St. Helens has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is St. Helens a safe place to live?
St. Helens recorded 94.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 115th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and public order.
What is the most common crime in St. Helens?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 7,509 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,712).
Is crime in St. Helens going up or down?
Recorded crime in St. Helens was almost unchanged on the year before: 17,904 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 17,891 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St. Helens?
About 188,861 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St. Helens?
St. Helens is policed by Merseyside.
How many crimes did the police record in St. Helens in the year ending March 2026?
16,310 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 86.4 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 15,998.
Which offences are more common in St. Helens than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were possession of drugs (1,162 offences, 2.5 times the England and Wales rate) and public order offences (1,761 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.