Crime in Witham South: statistics, rates and trends
397 crimes were recorded in Witham South in the 12 months to August 2026, 48.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Witham South at a glance
- Crime trends in Witham South
- Types of crime in Witham South
- Witham South compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Witham South
- What happened after crimes were reported in Witham South
- Demographics of Witham South
- Questions about crime in Witham South
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (208), anti-social behaviour (41) and public order (27) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,071st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Witham South | Braintree | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 397 | 10,156 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 48.8 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 8,142 | 164,304 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Witham South of any year here (397 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 397 | 48.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 437 | 53.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 430 | 52.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 443 | 54.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 596 | 73.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 656 | 80.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 513 | 63.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 434 | 53.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 486 | 59.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 33 |
| July 2026 | 51 |
| June 2026 | 43 |
| May 2026 | 41 |
| April 2026 | 22 |
| March 2026 | 36 |
| February 2026 | 23 |
| January 2026 | 30 |
| December 2025 | 22 |
| November 2025 | 30 |
| October 2025 | 35 |
| September 2025 | 31 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (67% below) and other theft (60% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 29 to 41, while criminal damage and arson fell from 34 to 24.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 208 | 25.5 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 41 | 5.0 | 15.4 | +41% |
| Public order | 27 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 24 | 2.9 | 6.7 | -29% |
| Other theft | 21 | 2.6 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 20 | 2.5 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Burglary | 15 | 1.8 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 14 | 1.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 13 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 0.9 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Witham South; the highest is Witham Central (126.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Coggeshall, Braintree (45.2).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Witham South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witham Central | 832 | 126.9 | +160% |
| Witham West | 504 | 73.7 | +51% |
| Witham North | 447 | 68.5 | +40% |
| Hatfield Peverel & Terling | 410 | 60.9 | +25% |
| Silver End & Cressing | 747 | 72.9 | +49% |
| Kelvedon & Feering | 261 | 45.6 | -7% |
| Coggeshall | 247 | 45.2 | -7% |
| Braintree South | 408 | 61.8 | +27% |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Witham South over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Stoneham Close” (31).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Stoneham Close | 31 |
| On or near Tudor Close | 24 |
| On or near Collar Way | 20 |
| On or near Allectus Way | 19 |
| On or near Laurence Avenue | 16 |
| On or near Benton Close | 14 |
| On or near Pinkham Drive | 13 |
| On or near Claydon Grove | 11 |
| On or near Maldon Road | 11 |
| On or near Duncombe Close | 10 |
Of the 356 crimes in Witham South with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 41 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 142 | 39.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 113 | 31.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 25 | 7.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 22 | 6.2% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 5.3% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 12 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 9 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 6 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Witham South has an estimated population of 8,142 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%), fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and a younger population (14%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Witham South average decile 6.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Witham South | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 67.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Witham South a safe place to live?
Witham South recorded 48.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,071st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Witham South?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 208 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (41).
Is crime in Witham South going up or down?
Recorded crime in Witham South was down 9% on the year before: 397 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 437 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Witham South?
About 8,142 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Witham South?
Witham South is policed by Essex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.