Crime in Darwen West: statistics, rates and trends
949 crimes were recorded in Darwen West in the 12 months to August 2026, 121.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 18% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Darwen West at a glance
- Crime trends in Darwen West
- Types of crime in Darwen West
- Darwen West compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Darwen West
- What happened after crimes were reported in Darwen West
- Demographics of Darwen West
- Questions about crime in Darwen West
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (401), anti-social behaviour (189) and criminal damage and arson (68) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 805th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Darwen West | Blackburn with Darwen | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 949 | 17,854 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 121.2 | 109.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -18% | -9% | -1% |
| Population | 7,830 | 162,540 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Darwen West of any year here (949 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 37%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 949 | 121.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,155 | 147.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,109 | 141.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,374 | 175.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,699 | 217.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,392 | 177.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,638 | 209.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,552 | 198.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,506 | 192.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 72 |
| July 2026 | 87 |
| June 2026 | 70 |
| May 2026 | 92 |
| April 2026 | 83 |
| March 2026 | 88 |
| February 2026 | 53 |
| January 2026 | 76 |
| December 2025 | 99 |
| November 2025 | 92 |
| October 2025 | 74 |
| September 2025 | 63 |
Compared with England and Wales, Darwen West recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (57% above the national rate), violence and sexual offences (50% above the national rate) and drugs (44% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (29% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 39 to 54 and drugs rose from 30 to 37, while anti-social behaviour fell from 349 to 189 and shoplifting fell from 68 to 47.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 401 | 51.2 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 189 | 24.1 | 15.4 | -46% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 68 | 8.7 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 54 | 6.9 | 5.0 | +38% |
| Public order | 50 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -18% |
| Shoplifting | 47 | 6.0 | 8.5 | -31% |
| Other theft | 45 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Drugs | 37 | 4.7 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Other crime | 21 | 2.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 16 | 2.0 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 1.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Darwen West; the highest is Blackburn Central (259.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Livesey with Pleasington (56.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Darwen West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darwen East | 1,386 | 129.4 | +7% |
| Darwen South | 597 | 61.8 | -49% |
| Blackburn South & Lower Darwen | 708 | 74.1 | -39% |
| Ewood | 1,172 | 127.0 | +5% |
| Blackburn South East | 1,157 | 145.2 | +20% |
| Mill Hill & Moorgate | 1,157 | 144.7 | +19% |
| Livesey with Pleasington | 530 | 56.4 | -53% |
| Blackburn Central | 3,329 | 259.6 | +114% |
The 10 locations below account for 46% of the crime recorded in Darwen West over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Church Bank Street” (78).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Church Bank Street | 78 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 64 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 60 |
| On or near Parking Area | 53 |
| On or near Victoria Street | 43 |
| On or near Arch Street | 41 |
| On or near Bank Bottom | 31 |
| On or near Green Street East | 26 |
| On or near James Street | 21 |
| On or near Crewdson Street | 17 |
Of the 760 crimes in Darwen West with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 189 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 273 | 35.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 225 | 29.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 81 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 72 | 9.5% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 32 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 30 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 22 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
Darwen West has an estimated population of 7,830 (ONS, mid-2024). On the Census 2021 measures below it is close to England and Wales as a whole. On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Darwen West average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Darwen West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 63.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Darwen West a safe place to live?
Darwen West recorded 121.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 805th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Darwen West?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 401 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (189).
Is crime in Darwen West going up or down?
Recorded crime in Darwen West was down 18% on the year before: 949 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,155 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Darwen West?
About 7,830 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Darwen West?
Darwen West is policed by Lancashire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.