Crime in Westmorland and Furness: statistics, rates and trends
16,568 crimes were recorded in Westmorland and Furness in the 12 months to August 2026, 72.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Westmorland and Furness at a glance
- Crime trends in Westmorland and Furness
- Types of crime in Westmorland and Furness
- Home Office recorded crime in Westmorland and Furness
- Westmorland and Furness compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Westmorland and Furness
- Streets with the most crime in Westmorland and Furness
- What happened after crimes were reported in Westmorland and Furness
- Demographics of Westmorland and Furness
- Fly-tipping in Westmorland and Furness
- Questions about crime in Westmorland and Furness
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (7,827), public order (1,628) and criminal damage and arson (1,567) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 211th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | North West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,568 | 439,611 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 72.0 | 93.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 230,185 | 4,727,750 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Westmorland and Furness of any year here (16,568 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,568 | 72.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,662 | 72.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 16,972 | 73.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,777 | 72.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,985 | 78.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 16,759 | 72.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 17,766 | 77.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,837 | 77.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 16,606 | 72.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,473 |
| July 2026 | 1,603 |
| June 2026 | 1,566 |
| May 2026 | 1,553 |
| April 2026 | 1,324 |
| March 2026 | 1,330 |
| February 2026 | 1,139 |
| January 2026 | 1,234 |
| December 2025 | 1,298 |
| November 2025 | 1,375 |
| October 2025 | 1,374 |
| September 2025 | 1,299 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (88% below) and robbery (81% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 53 to 61, while theft from the person fell from 85 to 47 and anti-social behaviour fell from 1,154 to 848.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,827 | 34.0 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Public order | 1,628 | 7.1 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,567 | 6.8 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Shoplifting | 1,057 | 4.6 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Other theft | 1,041 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Drugs | 854 | 3.7 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 848 | 3.7 | 15.4 | -27% |
| Burglary | 526 | 2.3 | 3.6 | +10% |
| Other crime | 434 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -18% |
| Vehicle crime | 335 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +12% |
| Possession of weapons | 230 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -7% |
| Bicycle theft | 113 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +10% |
| Robbery | 61 | 0.3 | 1.4 | +15% |
| Theft from the person | 47 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -45% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
15,202 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Westmorland and Furness in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 66.0 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Westmorland and Furness had the 103rd 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).
No change on the year or longer series is given for Westmorland and Furness: comparable figures start in the year ending March 2026, because the share of crimes in the Cumbria Police area not assigned to a district moved from 2.2% in the year ending March 2025 to 0.6% in the year ending March 2026, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Offences recorded in Westmorland and Furness, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 2,847 offences (19% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (4.7 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.19 times), vehicle offences (0.24 times) and robbery of personal property (0.25 times).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 2,847 | 12.4 | 13.2 | 0.94 |
| Stalking and harassment | 2,036 | 8.8 | 10.1 | 0.88 |
| Violence with injury | 1,866 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 1.00 |
| Public order offences | 1,585 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 0.99 |
| Criminal damage | 1,501 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 0.95 |
| Shoplifting | 1,021 | 4.4 | 8.1 | 0.55 |
| Other theft offences | 961 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 0.64 |
| Possession of drugs | 634 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.10 |
| Other sexual offences | 599 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.14 |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 428 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.89 |
| Residential burglary | 279 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.49 |
| Vehicle offences | 277 | 1.2 | 5.0 | 0.24 |
| Possession of weapons | 248 | 1.1 | 1.00 | 1.08 |
| Rape | 217 | 0.94 | 1.2 | 0.78 |
| Non-residential burglary | 205 | 0.89 | 1.1 | 0.80 |
| Trafficking of drugs | 145 | 0.63 | 1.2 | 0.53 |
| Bicycle theft | 108 | 0.47 | 0.85 | 0.55 |
| Theft from the person | 77 | 0.33 | 1.8 | 0.19 |
| Arson | 67 | 0.29 | 0.38 | 0.77 |
| Robbery of personal property | 53 | 0.23 | 0.91 | 0.25 |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 38 | 0.17 | 0.03 | 4.74 |
| Robbery of business property | 10 | 0.04 | 0.47 | 0.09 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
Districts in the Cumbria Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 2 districts in the Cumbria Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Westmorland and Furness had the lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 20,837 | 74.3 | 0.89 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 15,202 | 66.0 | 0.79 |
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.
6 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Westmorland and Furness; the highest is Blackpool district (183.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Ribble Valley (50.3).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Westmorland and Furness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 14,063 | 97.0 | +35% |
| Wyre | 9,232 | 77.7 | +8% |
| Cumberland | 23,055 | 82.2 | +14% |
| Blackpool | 26,386 | 183.0 | +154% |
| Ribble Valley | 3,311 | 50.3 | -30% |
| Fylde | 6,067 | 71.0 | -1% |
| Preston | 20,756 | 127.4 | +77% |
| South Ribble | 8,894 | 76.6 | +6% |
Of the 68 areas within Westmorland and Furness, Old Barrow and Hindpool had the highest crime rate (277.4 per 1,000) and Burton-in-Kendal the lowest (15.3), 18 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Barrow and Hindpool | Neighbourhood | 11,562 | 3,207 | 277.4 |
| Bowness-on-Windermere | Town | 1,676 | 338 | 201.7 |
| Kendal Strickland and Fell | Neighbourhood | 6,714 | 887 | 132.1 |
| Penrith South | Neighbourhood | 10,362 | 1,212 | 117.0 |
| Barrow-in-Furness | Town | 53,306 | 6,044 | 113.4 |
| Bowness and Lyth | Neighbourhood | 3,874 | 400 | 103.3 |
| Ormsgill and Parkside | Neighbourhood | 10,572 | 981 | 92.8 |
| Kendal Nether | Neighbourhood | 6,472 | 591 | 91.3 |
| Grasmere | Town | 1,285 | 114 | 88.7 |
| Penrith | Town | 18,110 | 1,583 | 87.4 |
| Kirkby Stephen | Town | 1,266 | 108 | 85.3 |
| Ambleside | Town | 2,982 | 254 | 85.2 |
| Kendal Highgate | Neighbourhood | 5,950 | 482 | 81.0 |
| Kendal | Town | 30,284 | 2,425 | 80.1 |
| Dalton-in-Furness | Town | 7,320 | 560 | 76.5 |
| Windermere and Ambleside | Neighbourhood | 9,931 | 741 | 74.6 |
| Dalton South | Neighbourhood | 5,837 | 424 | 72.6 |
| Kirkby Lonsdale | Town | 1,049 | 76 | 72.4 |
| Ulverston | Town | 10,472 | 756 | 72.2 |
| Kirkby Stephen and Tebay | Neighbourhood | 3,998 | 287 | 71.8 |
| Alston | Town | 2,043 | 146 | 71.5 |
| Risedale and Roosecote | Neighbourhood | 11,893 | 812 | 68.3 |
| Ulverston | Neighbourhood | 12,423 | 835 | 67.2 |
| Windermere | Town | 5,664 | 373 | 65.9 |
| Appleby-in-Westmorland | Town | 3,328 | 204 | 61.3 |
| Hawcoat and Newbarns | Neighbourhood | 11,442 | 700 | 61.2 |
| Flookburgh | Town | 1,763 | 107 | 60.7 |
| Long Marton | Town | 1,220 | 73 | 59.8 |
| Coniston | Town | 1,556 | 93 | 59.8 |
| Kendal South | Neighbourhood | 7,509 | 439 | 58.5 |
| Coniston and Hawkshead | Neighbourhood | 2,948 | 166 | 56.3 |
| Eamont and Shap | Neighbourhood | 4,189 | 217 | 51.8 |
| Dalton North | Neighbourhood | 6,176 | 310 | 50.2 |
| Appleby and Brough | Neighbourhood | 7,074 | 349 | 49.3 |
| Natland | Town | 2,173 | 107 | 49.2 |
| Penrith North | Neighbourhood | 7,748 | 371 | 47.9 |
| Walney Island | Neighbourhood | 10,592 | 494 | 46.6 |
| Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale | Neighbourhood | 8,732 | 380 | 43.5 |
| Eden and Lyvennet Vale | Neighbourhood | 5,676 | 244 | 43.0 |
| Grange and Cartmel | Neighbourhood | 9,636 | 414 | 43.0 |
| Stainton (Eden) | Town | 1,495 | 64 | 42.8 |
| Greystoke and Ullswater | Neighbourhood | 4,321 | 184 | 42.6 |
| Milnthorpe | Town | 2,264 | 92 | 40.6 |
| Alston and Fellside | Neighbourhood | 6,605 | 262 | 39.7 |
| Holme (South Lakeland) | Town | 1,858 | 72 | 38.8 |
| Endmoor | Town | 2,418 | 92 | 38.0 |
| Staveley (South Lakeland) | Town | 2,212 | 83 | 37.5 |
| Upper Kent | Neighbourhood | 4,127 | 154 | 37.3 |
| Burneside | Town | 1,915 | 71 | 37.1 |
| Hesket and Lazonby | Neighbourhood | 6,234 | 231 | 37.1 |
| Shap | Town | 1,304 | 48 | 36.8 |
| Grange-over-Sands | Town | 4,230 | 153 | 36.2 |
| Askam in Furness | Town | 3,351 | 120 | 35.8 |
| Levens and Crooklands | Neighbourhood | 4,249 | 152 | 35.8 |
| Broughton in Furness | Town | 1,024 | 34 | 33.2 |
| Sedbergh | Town | 1,434 | 47 | 32.8 |
| Levens | Town | 1,831 | 60 | 32.8 |
| Allithwaite | Town | 1,894 | 61 | 32.2 |
| High Furness | Neighbourhood | 4,028 | 128 | 31.8 |
| Kent Estuary | Neighbourhood | 6,248 | 190 | 30.4 |
| Burton and Holme | Neighbourhood | 3,034 | 90 | 29.7 |
| Lazonby | Town | 1,573 | 41 | 26.1 |
| Low Furness | Neighbourhood | 4,217 | 101 | 24.0 |
| Kendal Castle | Neighbourhood | 5,812 | 133 | 22.9 |
| Kirkby-in-Furness | Town | 1,186 | 26 | 21.9 |
| Swarthmoor | Town | 1,521 | 32 | 21.0 |
| Arnside | Town | 2,539 | 46 | 18.1 |
| Burton-in-Kendal | Town | 1,176 | 18 | 15.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Westmorland and Furness over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,141).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,141 |
| On or near Supermarket | 379 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 355 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 346 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 261 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 177 |
| On or near Hospital | 153 |
| On or near Steel Street | 102 |
| On or near Market Street | 95 |
| On or near Branthwaite Brow | 93 |
Of the 15,720 crimes in Westmorland and Furness with a recorded outcome, 21% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 848 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,821 | 37.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,377 | 21.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,454 | 15.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,051 | 6.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 914 | 5.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 874 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 432 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 331 | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 173 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 146 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 93 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 54 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Westmorland and Furness has an estimated population of 230,185 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.3%, against 7.9%), an older population (27%, against 19%) and less social housing (11%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Westmorland and Furness average decile 6.1 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 72.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 5.6% | 10.1% (England) |
1,546 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Westmorland and Furness in 2024/25 (6.7 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 Westmorland and Furness has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Westmorland and Furness a safe place to live?
Westmorland and Furness recorded 72.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 211th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Westmorland and Furness?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 7,827 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (1,628).
Is crime in Westmorland and Furness going up or down?
Recorded crime in Westmorland and Furness was almost unchanged on the year before: 16,568 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,662 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Westmorland and Furness?
About 230,185 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Westmorland and Furness?
Westmorland and Furness is policed by Cumbria.
How many crimes did the police record in Westmorland and Furness in the year ending March 2026?
15,202 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 66.0 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales.
Which offences are more common in Westmorland and Furness than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (38 offences, 4.7 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.