Crime in Bretton: statistics, rates and trends
1,517 crimes were recorded in Bretton in the 12 months to August 2026, 141.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (529), shoplifting (359) and anti-social behaviour (195) made up 71% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 518th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Bretton | Peterborough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,517 | 28,159 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 141.6 | 125.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 10,711 | 223,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bretton peaked in the year to August 2018 (1,635 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,304). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,517 | 141.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,387 | 129.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,304 | 121.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,470 | 137.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,323 | 123.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,354 | 126.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,516 | 141.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,321 | 123.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,635 | 152.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 156 |
| July 2026 | 152 |
| June 2026 | 130 |
| May 2026 | 137 |
| April 2026 | 124 |
| March 2026 | 109 |
| February 2026 | 103 |
| January 2026 | 133 |
| December 2025 | 98 |
| November 2025 | 143 |
| October 2025 | 99 |
| September 2025 | 133 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bretton recorded notably more shoplifting (4.0 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.0 times the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (44% above the national rate), and notably less drugs (34% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 28 to 46 and shoplifting rose from 285 to 359, while other crime fell from 44 to 29.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 529 | 49.4 | 34.2 | +16% |
| Shoplifting | 359 | 33.5 | 8.5 | +26% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 195 | 18.2 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Public order | 95 | 8.9 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 80 | 7.5 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 61 | 5.7 | 6.4 | -10% |
| Vehicle crime | 49 | 4.6 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Burglary | 46 | 4.3 | 3.6 | +64% |
| Other crime | 29 | 2.7 | 2.1 | -34% |
| Drugs | 23 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +15% |
| Possession of weapons | 21 | 2.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 13 | 1.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 10 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.7 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Bretton; the highest is Central, Peterborough (363.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Gunthorpe (68.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bretton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravensthorpe | 2,260 | 186.1 | +31% |
| West | 676 | 105.4 | -26% |
| Paston and Walton | 1,612 | 141.7 | 0% |
| North | 1,531 | 137.4 | -3% |
| Gunthorpe | 716 | 68.6 | -52% |
| Werrington | 818 | 93.8 | -34% |
| Park | 1,381 | 116.3 | -18% |
| Central | 5,495 | 363.0 | +156% |
The 10 locations below account for 57% of the crime recorded in Bretton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Petrol Station” (245).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 245 |
| On or near Supermarket | 175 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 95 |
| On or near Parking Area | 79 |
| On or near Tyesdale | 47 |
| On or near Ellindon | 45 |
| On or near Sprignall | 45 |
| On or near Benland | 44 |
| On or near Stumpacre | 44 |
| On or near Oxclose | 39 |
Of the 1,322 crimes in Bretton with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 16% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 195 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 434 | 32.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 344 | 26.0% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 217 | 16.4% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 141 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 84 | 6.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 40 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 25 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 20 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 2 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Bretton has an estimated population of 10,711 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (25%, against 17%), more private renting (27%, against 20%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bretton average decile 2.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Bretton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 47.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bretton a safe place to live?
Bretton recorded 141.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 518th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Bretton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 529 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (359).
Is crime in Bretton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bretton was up 9% on the year before: 1,517 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,387 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bretton?
About 10,711 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bretton?
Bretton is policed by Cambridgeshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.