Crime in Witham West: statistics, rates and trends
504 crimes were recorded in Witham West in the 12 months to August 2026, 73.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Witham West at a glance
- Crime trends in Witham West
- Types of crime in Witham West
- Witham West compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Witham West
- What happened after crimes were reported in Witham West
- Demographics of Witham West
- Questions about crime in Witham West
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (224), anti-social behaviour (72) and public order (41) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,069th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Witham West | Braintree | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 504 | 10,156 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 73.7 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 6,835 | 164,304 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Witham West peaked in the year to August 2018 (690 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (475). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 504 | 73.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 475 | 69.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 530 | 77.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 562 | 82.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 566 | 82.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 624 | 91.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 623 | 91.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 601 | 87.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 690 | 101.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 46 |
| July 2026 | 55 |
| June 2026 | 67 |
| May 2026 | 42 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| March 2026 | 30 |
| February 2026 | 30 |
| January 2026 | 22 |
| December 2025 | 38 |
| November 2025 | 41 |
| October 2025 | 46 |
| September 2025 | 42 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (50% below) and anti-social behaviour (31% below) were well below it. On the year before, public order rose from 21 to 41, while shoplifting fell from 40 to 29 and criminal damage and arson fell from 41 to 33.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 224 | 32.8 | 34.2 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 72 | 10.5 | 15.4 | +14% |
| Public order | 41 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +95% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 33 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -20% |
| Other theft | 31 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 29 | 4.2 | 8.5 | -28% |
| Other crime | 16 | 2.3 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 15 | 2.2 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 15 | 2.2 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 15 | 2.2 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Witham West; the highest is Witham Central (126.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Great Notley & Black Notley (44.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Witham West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witham Central | 832 | 126.9 | +72% |
| Witham North | 447 | 68.5 | -7% |
| Witham South | 397 | 48.8 | -34% |
| Hatfield Peverel & Terling | 410 | 60.9 | -17% |
| Silver End & Cressing | 747 | 72.9 | -1% |
| Kelvedon & Feering | 261 | 45.6 | -38% |
| Braintree South | 408 | 61.8 | -16% |
| Great Notley & Black Notley | 468 | 44.4 | -40% |
The 10 locations below account for 52% of the crime recorded in Witham West over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (83).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 83 |
| On or near Calamint Road | 40 |
| On or near Bentley Road | 22 |
| On or near Bluebell Close | 22 |
| On or near Bryony Close | 19 |
| On or near Bramble Road | 18 |
| On or near Cuppers Close | 18 |
| On or near Colne Chase | 14 |
| On or near Cornel Close | 14 |
| On or near Parking Area | 13 |
Of the 432 crimes in Witham West with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 72 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 174 | 40.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 139 | 32.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 42 | 9.7% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 28 | 6.5% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 26 | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 8 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 4 | 0.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Witham West has an estimated population of 6,835 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (11%, against 20%), fewer students (4.5%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Witham West average decile 4.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Witham West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 10.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Witham West a safe place to live?
Witham West recorded 73.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,069th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Witham West?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 224 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (72).
Is crime in Witham West going up or down?
Recorded crime in Witham West was up 6% on the year before: 504 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 475 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Witham West?
About 6,835 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Witham West?
Witham West 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.