Crime in West Hill & North Laine: statistics, rates and trends
5,217 crimes were recorded in West Hill & North Laine in the 12 months to August 2026, 483.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in West Hill & North Laine at a glance
- Crime trends in West Hill & North Laine
- Types of crime in West Hill & North Laine
- West Hill & North Laine compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in West Hill & North Laine
- What happened after crimes were reported in West Hill & North Laine
- Demographics of West Hill & North Laine
- Questions about crime in West Hill & North Laine
- About this data
Crime map
Shoplifting (1,355), violence and sexual offences (1,129) and anti-social behaviour (1,066) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 20th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | West Hill & North Laine | Brighton and Hove | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,217 | 35,519 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 483.6 | 125.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 10,788 | 283,870 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in West Hill & North Laine peaked in the year to August 2025 (5,638 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (4,136). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,217 | 483.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,638 | 522.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,010 | 464.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,740 | 439.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,472 | 414.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,136 | 383.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,566 | 423.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,620 | 428.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,674 | 433.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 526 |
| July 2026 | 497 |
| June 2026 | 430 |
| May 2026 | 547 |
| April 2026 | 472 |
| March 2026 | 391 |
| February 2026 | 366 |
| January 2026 | 374 |
| December 2025 | 395 |
| November 2025 | 400 |
| October 2025 | 419 |
| September 2025 | 400 |
Compared with England and Wales, West Hill & North Laine recorded notably more shoplifting (14.9 times the national rate), robbery (7.4 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (6.7 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 76 to 108, while burglary fell from 141 to 82 and bicycle theft fell from 91 to 60.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 1,355 | 125.6 | 8.5 | -5% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,129 | 104.7 | 34.2 | -12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,066 | 98.8 | 15.4 | +14% |
| Public order | 464 | 43.0 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Other theft | 267 | 24.7 | 6.4 | -27% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 218 | 20.2 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Drugs | 204 | 18.9 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Robbery | 108 | 10.0 | 1.4 | +42% |
| Burglary | 82 | 7.6 | 3.6 | -42% |
| Vehicle crime | 80 | 7.4 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Other crime | 72 | 6.7 | 2.1 | -23% |
| Theft from the person | 63 | 5.8 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Bicycle theft | 60 | 5.6 | 0.8 | -34% |
| Possession of weapons | 49 | 4.5 | 1.0 | -2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than West Hill & North Laine; the highest is Regency (631.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Preston Park (54.9).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs West Hill & North Laine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency | 6,318 | 631.1 | +31% |
| Round Hill | 907 | 105.8 | -78% |
| Queen's Park | 1,183 | 115.6 | -76% |
| Hanover & Elm Grove | 1,093 | 69.8 | -86% |
| Brunswick & Adelaide | 900 | 87.8 | -82% |
| Preston Park | 966 | 54.9 | -89% |
| Goldsmid | 915 | 63.3 | -87% |
| Kemptown | 3,443 | 285.1 | -41% |
The 10 locations below account for 47% of the crime recorded in West Hill & North Laine over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (796).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 796 |
| On or near Marshalls Row | 276 |
| On or near Queen Square | 273 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 252 |
| On or near Parking Area | 179 |
| On or near Windsor Street | 158 |
| On or near Queen'S Road | 132 |
| On or near Prince'S Place | 127 |
| On or near Frederick Street | 122 |
| On or near New Road | 122 |
Of the 4,151 crimes in West Hill & North Laine with a recorded outcome, 45% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,066 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,859 | 44.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 908 | 21.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 446 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 408 | 9.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 188 | 4.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 174 | 4.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 110 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 19 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 7 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
West Hill & North Laine has an estimated population of 10,788 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (65%, against 23%), more private renting (52%, against 20%) and more students (20.3%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up West Hill & North Laine average decile 3.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | West Hill & North Laine | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 6.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 7.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 20.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 53.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 7.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 65.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 33.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 52.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is West Hill & North Laine a safe place to live?
West Hill & North Laine recorded 483.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 20th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and robbery.
What is the most common crime in West Hill & North Laine?
Shoplifting was the most common category, with 1,355 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (1,129).
Is crime in West Hill & North Laine going up or down?
Recorded crime in West Hill & North Laine was down 7% on the year before: 5,217 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,638 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of West Hill & North Laine?
About 10,788 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 7.8% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers West Hill & North Laine?
West Hill & North Laine is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.