Crime in West Thornton: statistics, rates and trends
2,809 crimes were recorded in West Thornton in the 12 months to August 2026, 139.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in West Thornton at a glance
- Crime trends in West Thornton
- Types of crime in West Thornton
- West Thornton compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in West Thornton
- What happened after crimes were reported in West Thornton
- Demographics of West Thornton
- Questions about crime in West Thornton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (938), anti-social behaviour (600) and vehicle crime (243) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 536th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | West Thornton | Croydon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,809 | 42,232 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 139.7 | 103.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 20,109 | 409,342 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in West Thornton peaked in the year to August 2021 (3,234 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (2,232). 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 | 2,809 | 139.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,675 | 133.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,705 | 134.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,477 | 123.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,765 | 137.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,234 | 160.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,072 | 152.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,403 | 119.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,232 | 111.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 221 |
| July 2026 | 293 |
| June 2026 | 248 |
| May 2026 | 262 |
| April 2026 | 230 |
| March 2026 | 252 |
| February 2026 | 207 |
| January 2026 | 206 |
| December 2025 | 221 |
| November 2025 | 242 |
| October 2025 | 226 |
| September 2025 | 201 |
Compared with England and Wales, West Thornton recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.4 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (94% above the national rate) and robbery (94% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (44% below) and shoplifting (31% below). On the year before, other theft rose from 150 to 226 and shoplifting rose from 80 to 117, while other crime fell from 40 to 24 and drugs fell from 150 to 103.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 938 | 46.6 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 600 | 29.8 | 15.4 | +17% |
| Vehicle crime | 243 | 12.1 | 5.0 | +4% |
| Other theft | 226 | 11.2 | 6.4 | +51% |
| Public order | 213 | 10.6 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Shoplifting | 117 | 5.8 | 8.5 | +46% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 116 | 5.8 | 6.7 | -24% |
| Drugs | 103 | 5.1 | 3.3 | -31% |
| Burglary | 95 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -27% |
| Theft from the person | 54 | 2.7 | 1.7 | +4% |
| Robbery | 53 | 2.6 | 1.4 | -5% |
| Other crime | 24 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -40% |
| Possession of weapons | 16 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 11 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than West Thornton; the highest is Fairfield, Croydon (314.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Norbury Park (64.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs West Thornton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bensham Manor | 1,492 | 83.3 | -40% |
| Broad Green | 3,900 | 177.7 | +27% |
| Selhurst | 1,676 | 139.8 | 0% |
| Norbury & Pollards Hill | 1,439 | 102.2 | -27% |
| Thornton Heath | 1,954 | 107.7 | -23% |
| Fairfield | 5,539 | 314.2 | +125% |
| Norbury Park | 608 | 64.6 | -54% |
| Addiscombe West | 1,600 | 92.9 | -33% |
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in West Thornton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Hospital” (291).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Hospital | 291 |
| On or near London Road | 163 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 156 |
| On or near Thornton Row | 106 |
| On or near Campbell Road | 102 |
| On or near Crossland Road | 78 |
| On or near Wingate Crescent | 76 |
| On or near Headcorn Place | 69 |
| On or near Thornton Road | 68 |
| On or near Mayday Road | 65 |
Of the 2,209 crimes in West Thornton with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 600 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 822 | 37.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 720 | 32.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 307 | 13.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 153 | 6.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 83 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 40 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 33 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 29 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 7 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
West Thornton has an estimated population of 20,109 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (40%, against 23%), more unemployed residents (5.7%, against 3.4%) and more private renting (33%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up West Thornton average decile 3.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | West Thornton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 39.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 46.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 32.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 21.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is West Thornton a safe place to live?
West Thornton recorded 139.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 536th 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 West Thornton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 938 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (600).
Is crime in West Thornton going up or down?
Recorded crime in West Thornton was up 5% on the year before: 2,809 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,675 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of West Thornton?
About 20,109 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers West Thornton?
West Thornton 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.