Crime in South Lake: statistics, rates and trends
587 crimes were recorded in South Lake in the 12 months to August 2026, 52.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in South Lake at a glance
- Crime trends in South Lake
- Types of crime in South Lake
- South Lake compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in South Lake
- What happened after crimes were reported in South Lake
- Demographics of South Lake
- Questions about crime in South Lake
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (237), anti-social behaviour (71) and shoplifting (65) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,919th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | South Lake | Wokingham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 587 | 8,438 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 52.7 | 45.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 11,144 | 187,200 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in South Lake peaked in the year to August 2023 (617 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (467). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 26%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 587 | 52.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 605 | 54.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 546 | 49.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 617 | 55.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 563 | 50.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 510 | 45.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 512 | 45.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 471 | 42.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 467 | 41.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 60 |
| July 2026 | 73 |
| June 2026 | 57 |
| May 2026 | 62 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| March 2026 | 44 |
| February 2026 | 27 |
| January 2026 | 36 |
| December 2025 | 34 |
| November 2025 | 51 |
| October 2025 | 45 |
| September 2025 | 53 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (59% below) and other theft (58% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 53 to 71 and public order rose from 50 to 63, while shoplifting fell from 128 to 65.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 237 | 21.3 | 34.2 | +12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 71 | 6.4 | 15.4 | +34% |
| Shoplifting | 65 | 5.8 | 8.5 | -49% |
| Public order | 63 | 5.7 | 6.7 | +26% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 44 | 3.9 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 30 | 2.7 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Drugs | 19 | 1.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Burglary | 17 | 1.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 15 | 1.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 12 | 1.1 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than South Lake; the highest is Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates (53.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Loddon, Wokingham (25.5).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs South Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates | 522 | 53.7 | +2% |
| Bulmershe & Coronation | 406 | 46.0 | -13% |
| Loddon | 245 | 25.5 | -52% |
| Hawkedon | 554 | 51.8 | -2% |
| Hillside | 621 | 49.9 | -5% |
| Winnersh | 570 | 49.6 | -6% |
| Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst | 502 | 48.4 | -8% |
| Shinfield | 552 | 52.2 | -1% |
The 10 locations below account for 59% of the crime recorded in South Lake over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (116).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 116 |
| On or near Parking Area | 51 |
| On or near Beaufield Close | 40 |
| On or near Drovers Way | 30 |
| On or near Hearn Road | 29 |
| On or near Martin Close | 22 |
| On or near Keats Close | 17 |
| On or near Knowle Road | 16 |
| On or near The Close | 16 |
| On or near Players Green | 12 |
Of the 516 crimes in South Lake with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 71 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 172 | 33.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 169 | 32.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 96 | 18.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 21 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 18 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 17 | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
South Lake has an estimated population of 11,144 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (12%, against 20%), fewer households without a car (14%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up South Lake average decile 8.4 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | South Lake | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 76.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is South Lake a safe place to live?
South Lake recorded 52.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,919th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in South Lake?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 237 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (71).
Is crime in South Lake going up or down?
Recorded crime in South Lake was down 3% on the year before: 587 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 605 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of South Lake?
About 11,144 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers South Lake?
South Lake is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.