Crime in Thornton Heath: statistics, rates and trends
1,954 crimes were recorded in Thornton Heath in the 12 months to August 2026, 107.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Thornton Heath at a glance
- Crime trends in Thornton Heath
- Types of crime in Thornton Heath
- Thornton Heath compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Thornton Heath
- What happened after crimes were reported in Thornton Heath
- Demographics of Thornton Heath
- Questions about crime in Thornton Heath
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (651), anti-social behaviour (429) and vehicle crime (159) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,056th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Thornton Heath | Croydon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,954 | 42,232 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 107.7 | 103.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 18,143 | 409,342 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Thornton Heath peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,478 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,870). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 4%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,954 | 107.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,890 | 104.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,984 | 109.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,967 | 108.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,069 | 114.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,272 | 125.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,478 | 136.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,100 | 115.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,870 | 103.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 156 |
| July 2026 | 151 |
| June 2026 | 161 |
| May 2026 | 171 |
| April 2026 | 178 |
| March 2026 | 174 |
| February 2026 | 150 |
| January 2026 | 165 |
| December 2025 | 196 |
| November 2025 | 150 |
| October 2025 | 143 |
| September 2025 | 159 |
Compared with England and Wales, Thornton Heath recorded notably more drugs (2.4 times the national rate), robbery (2.0 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (76% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (58% below) and criminal damage and arson (34% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 90 to 144 and anti-social behaviour rose from 361 to 429, while criminal damage and arson fell from 118 to 81 and other theft fell from 124 to 97.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 651 | 35.9 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 429 | 23.6 | 15.4 | +19% |
| Vehicle crime | 159 | 8.8 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Drugs | 144 | 7.9 | 3.3 | +60% |
| Public order | 115 | 6.3 | 6.7 | +15% |
| Other theft | 97 | 5.3 | 6.4 | -22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 81 | 4.5 | 6.7 | -31% |
| Shoplifting | 65 | 3.6 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Burglary | 52 | 2.9 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Robbery | 49 | 2.7 | 1.4 | +2% |
| Theft from the person | 48 | 2.6 | 1.7 | +9% |
| Other crime | 28 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 22 | 1.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 14 | 0.8 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Thornton Heath; the highest is Selhurst (139.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Norbury Park (64.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Thornton Heath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bensham Manor | 1,492 | 83.3 | -23% |
| South Norwood | 1,985 | 105.6 | -2% |
| Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood | 1,360 | 79.6 | -26% |
| Norbury Park | 608 | 64.6 | -40% |
| Selhurst | 1,676 | 139.8 | +30% |
| Norbury & Pollards Hill | 1,439 | 102.2 | -5% |
| West Thornton | 2,809 | 139.7 | +30% |
| Woodside | 1,559 | 90.0 | -16% |
The 10 locations below account for 38% of the crime recorded in Thornton Heath over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (179).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 179 |
| On or near B266 | 88 |
| On or near High Street | 82 |
| On or near Stuart Road | 75 |
| On or near Gillett Road | 61 |
| On or near Parchmore Road | 58 |
| On or near Mersham Place | 55 |
| On or near Beulah Crescent | 53 |
| On or near Cotford Road | 43 |
| On or near Gilsland Road | 43 |
Of the 1,525 crimes in Thornton Heath with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 429 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 535 | 35.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 473 | 31.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 224 | 14.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 125 | 8.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 60 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 37 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 23 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 14 | 0.9% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Thornton Heath has an estimated population of 18,143 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more unemployed residents (6.3%, against 3.4%), more households without a car (40%, against 23%) and fewer retired residents (11%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Thornton Heath average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Thornton Heath | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 40.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 51.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 10.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Thornton Heath a safe place to live?
Thornton Heath recorded 107.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,056th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Thornton Heath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 651 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (429).
Is crime in Thornton Heath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Thornton Heath was up 3% on the year before: 1,954 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,890 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Thornton Heath?
About 18,143 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Thornton Heath?
Thornton Heath 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.