Crime in Thamesmead East: statistics, rates and trends
1,581 crimes were recorded in Thamesmead East in the 12 months to August 2026, 97.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Thamesmead East at a glance
- Crime trends in Thamesmead East
- Types of crime in Thamesmead East
- Thamesmead East compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Thamesmead East
- What happened after crimes were reported in Thamesmead East
- Demographics of Thamesmead East
- Questions about crime in Thamesmead East
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (562), anti-social behaviour (383) and vehicle crime (170) made up 71% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,307th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Thamesmead East | Bexley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,581 | 20,080 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 97.1 | 78.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 16,280 | 256,434 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Thamesmead East peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,845 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,321). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 20%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,581 | 97.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,580 | 97.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,689 | 103.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,643 | 100.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,845 | 113.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,795 | 110.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,825 | 112.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,529 | 93.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,321 | 81.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 144 |
| July 2026 | 141 |
| June 2026 | 136 |
| May 2026 | 147 |
| April 2026 | 132 |
| March 2026 | 140 |
| February 2026 | 135 |
| January 2026 | 131 |
| December 2025 | 110 |
| November 2025 | 119 |
| October 2025 | 124 |
| September 2025 | 122 |
Compared with England and Wales, Thamesmead East recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.1 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (53% above the national rate) and robbery (40% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (77% below) and criminal damage and arson (42% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 35 to 42 and violence and sexual offences rose from 480 to 562, while criminal damage and arson fell from 115 to 64 and drugs fell from 81 to 56.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 562 | 34.5 | 34.2 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 383 | 23.5 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 170 | 10.4 | 5.0 | -15% |
| Other theft | 97 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Public order | 81 | 5.0 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 64 | 3.9 | 6.7 | -44% |
| Drugs | 56 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -31% |
| Burglary | 42 | 2.6 | 3.6 | +20% |
| Robbery | 31 | 1.9 | 1.4 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 31 | 1.9 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Other crime | 23 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 19 | 1.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 16 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Thamesmead East; the highest is Bexleyheath (148.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Barnehurst (45.7).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Thamesmead East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvedere | 1,744 | 95.9 | -1% |
| West Heath | 695 | 48.3 | -50% |
| Northumberland Heath | 827 | 72.3 | -26% |
| Erith | 2,006 | 118.3 | +22% |
| East Wickham | 790 | 46.6 | -52% |
| Crook Log | 1,191 | 67.9 | -30% |
| Barnehurst | 452 | 45.7 | -53% |
| Bexleyheath | 2,437 | 148.1 | +52% |
The 10 locations below account for 49% of the crime recorded in Thamesmead East over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Tavy Bridge” (134).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Tavy Bridge | 134 |
| On or near Kale Road | 97 |
| On or near Hartslock Drive | 79 |
| On or near Mere Road | 78 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 72 |
| On or near Wolvercote Road | 69 |
| On or near Lensbury Way | 68 |
| On or near Fieldfare Road | 66 |
| On or near St Martins Close | 62 |
| On or near Yarnton Way | 52 |
Of the 1,198 crimes in Thamesmead East with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 383 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 424 | 35.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 420 | 35.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 149 | 12.4% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 76 | 6.3% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 57 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 25 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 24 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 12 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 5 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Thamesmead East has an estimated population of 16,280 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (43%, against 17%), more unemployed residents (6.6%, against 3.4%) and more households without a car (38%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Thamesmead East average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Thamesmead East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 38.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 34.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 43.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Thamesmead East a safe place to live?
Thamesmead East recorded 97.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,307th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Thamesmead East?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 562 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (383).
Is crime in Thamesmead East going up or down?
Recorded crime in Thamesmead East was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,581 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,580 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Thamesmead East?
About 16,280 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.2% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Thamesmead East?
Thamesmead East is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.