Crime in St Helens Town Centre: statistics, rates and trends
3,616 crimes were recorded in St Helens Town Centre in the 12 months to August 2026, 320.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St Helens Town Centre at a glance
- Crime trends in St Helens Town Centre
- Types of crime in St Helens Town Centre
- St Helens Town Centre compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in St Helens Town Centre
- What happened after crimes were reported in St Helens Town Centre
- Demographics of St Helens Town Centre
- Questions about crime in St Helens Town Centre
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,336), anti-social behaviour (422) and public order (391) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 55th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | St Helens Town Centre | St. Helens | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,616 | 17,904 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 320.3 | 94.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 11,289 | 188,861 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Helens Town Centre peaked in the year to August 2022 (4,809 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (3,567). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,616 | 320.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,567 | 316.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,708 | 328.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,423 | 391.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,809 | 426.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,166 | 369.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,027 | 356.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,986 | 353.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,028 | 356.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 344 |
| July 2026 | 335 |
| June 2026 | 327 |
| May 2026 | 294 |
| April 2026 | 268 |
| March 2026 | 307 |
| February 2026 | 254 |
| January 2026 | 275 |
| December 2025 | 256 |
| November 2025 | 315 |
| October 2025 | 323 |
| September 2025 | 318 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Helens Town Centre recorded notably more drugs (7.7 times the national rate), public order (5.2 times the national rate) and shoplifting (3.9 times the national rate). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 61 to 94 and robbery rose from 25 to 37, while theft from the person fell from 28 to 21 and burglary fell from 107 to 88.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,336 | 118.3 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 422 | 37.4 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Public order | 391 | 34.6 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Shoplifting | 368 | 32.6 | 8.5 | +47% |
| Drugs | 286 | 25.3 | 3.3 | -15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 269 | 23.8 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Other theft | 161 | 14.3 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Vehicle crime | 94 | 8.3 | 5.0 | +54% |
| Burglary | 88 | 7.8 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Other crime | 85 | 7.5 | 2.1 | +16% |
| Robbery | 37 | 3.3 | 1.4 | +48% |
| Possession of weapons | 34 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -17% |
| Bicycle theft | 24 | 2.1 | 0.8 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 21 | 1.9 | 1.7 | -25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
St Helens Town Centre has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Helens Town Centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Park | 1,089 | 90.1 | -72% |
| Windle | 622 | 66.9 | -79% |
| Moss Bank | 776 | 73.5 | -77% |
| Peasley Cross & Fingerpost | 1,286 | 301.9 | -6% |
| Blackbrook | 831 | 77.3 | -76% |
| Parr | 2,055 | 138.0 | -57% |
| Thatto Heath | 1,013 | 79.7 | -75% |
| Sutton North West | 305 | 65.5 | -80% |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in St Helens Town Centre over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Nightclub” (334).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Nightclub | 334 |
| On or near Parking Area | 243 |
| On or near William Street | 142 |
| On or near Linkway West | 130 |
| On or near Shaw Street | 119 |
| On or near Supermarket | 111 |
| On or near Highpoint | 100 |
| On or near Trinity Street | 82 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 78 |
| On or near Brook Street | 75 |
Of the 3,194 crimes in St Helens Town Centre with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 422 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,292 | 40.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 880 | 27.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 355 | 11.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 270 | 8.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 138 | 4.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 127 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 60 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 10 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
St Helens Town Centre has an estimated population of 11,289 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (46%, against 23%), more social housing (33%, against 17%) and more private renting (31%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Helens Town Centre average decile 1.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | St Helens Town Centre | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 46.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 35.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 33.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 71.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is St Helens Town Centre a safe place to live?
St Helens Town Centre recorded 320.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 55th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods 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 Town Centre?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,336 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (422).
Is crime in St Helens Town Centre going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Helens Town Centre was up 1% on the year before: 3,616 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,567 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Helens Town Centre?
About 11,289 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St Helens Town Centre?
St Helens Town Centre is policed by Merseyside.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.