Towns with the highest crime rates
The 50 towns of 5,000+ people with the highest recorded crime rates in the 12 months to July 2026.
Table of Contents
Ranked by crime per 1,000 residents over the 12 months to July 2026. The England and Wales rate was 96.4; the index column compares each area with it (1.00 = national rate). Rates for city and town centres are inflated by visitors and commuters, who are not counted in the resident population.
| Rank | Area | In | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City and County of the City of London | City of London | 9,805 | 648.9 | 6.73 |
| 2 | City of Westminster | Westminster | 87,349 | 416.0 | 4.32 |
| 3 | Takeley and Little Canfield | Uttlesford | 1,651 | 274.4 | 2.85 |
| 4 | Great Yarmouth | Great Yarmouth | 6,778 | 227.9 | 2.37 |
| 5 | Camden | Camden | 46,655 | 218.2 | 2.26 |
| 6 | Llandudno | Conwy | 3,245 | 214.1 | 2.22 |
| 7 | Eston | Redcar and Cleveland | 6,554 | 213.5 | 2.22 |
| 8 | Skegness | East Lindsey | 4,525 | 210.1 | 2.18 |
| 9 | Sheerness | Swale | 2,818 | 208.8 | 2.17 |
| 10 | Rhyl | Denbighshire | 5,588 | 204.1 | 2.12 |
| 11 | Patchway | South Gloucestershire | 4,069 | 201.6 | 2.09 |
| 12 | Bishop Auckland | County Durham | 4,344 | 201.4 | 2.09 |
| 13 | Stainforth | Doncaster | 1,255 | 199.7 | 2.07 |
| 14 | Haverfordwest | Pembrokeshire | 2,423 | 193.8 | 2.01 |
| 15 | Doncaster | Doncaster | 17,829 | 192.1 | 1.99 |
| 16 | Thornaby-on-Tees | Stockton-on-Tees | 4,337 | 191.4 | 1.99 |
| 17 | Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough | 30,334 | 187.0 | 1.94 |
| 18 | Murton (County Durham) | County Durham | 1,485 | 186.7 | 1.94 |
| 19 | Horden | County Durham | 1,389 | 184.1 | 1.91 |
| 20 | Islington | Islington | 41,000 | 183.8 | 1.91 |
| 21 | Rhymney | Caerphilly | 967 | 182.8 | 1.90 |
| 22 | Blackpool | Blackpool | 27,786 | 180.3 | 1.87 |
| 23 | Easington (County Durham) | County Durham | 1,190 | 179.1 | 1.86 |
| 24 | Gainsborough | West Lindsey | 4,083 | 178.6 | 1.85 |
| 25 | Kensington and Chelsea | Kensington and Chelsea | 25,550 | 176.8 | 1.83 |
| 26 | Shildon | County Durham | 1,896 | 176.7 | 1.83 |
| 27 | Tredegar | Blaenau Gwent | 2,336 | 175.7 | 1.82 |
| 28 | Ferryhill | County Durham | 1,466 | 174.2 | 1.81 |
| 29 | Bridgwater | Somerset | 8,893 | 170.8 | 1.77 |
| 30 | Hartlepool | Hartlepool | 15,721 | 170.7 | 1.77 |
| 31 | Grimsby | North East Lincolnshire | 14,481 | 167.5 | 1.74 |
| 32 | Canterbury | Canterbury | 9,687 | 167.3 | 1.74 |
| 33 | Stockton-on-Tees | Stockton-on-Tees | 15,013 | 167.1 | 1.73 |
| 34 | Knottingley | Wakefield | 1,499 | 166.6 | 1.73 |
| 35 | Scarborough | North Yorkshire | 9,884 | 166.3 | 1.73 |
| 36 | Carmarthen | Carmarthenshire | 2,588 | 165.1 | 1.71 |
| 37 | Glastonbury | Somerset | 1,479 | 161.8 | 1.68 |
| 38 | Preston (Preston) | Preston | 15,987 | 161.4 | 1.67 |
| 39 | Stanley (County Durham) | County Durham | 3,159 | 160.0 | 1.66 |
| 40 | Jaywick | Tendring | 847 | 159.2 | 1.65 |
| 41 | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | 1,640 | 159.2 | 1.65 |
| 42 | Nottingham | Nottingham | 48,561 | 158.8 | 1.65 |
| 43 | Spennymoor | County Durham | 2,848 | 158.8 | 1.65 |
| 44 | Denaby Main | Doncaster | 839 | 158.7 | 1.65 |
| 45 | Cleethorpes | North East Lincolnshire | 4,646 | 158.3 | 1.64 |
| 46 | Brynmawr | Blaenau Gwent | 856 | 156.5 | 1.62 |
| 47 | Wrexham | Wrexham | 7,133 | 156.5 | 1.62 |
| 48 | Lincoln | Lincoln | 16,440 | 156.4 | 1.62 |
| 49 | Southwark | Southwark | 49,003 | 155.7 | 1.62 |
| 50 | Chichester | Chichester | 5,403 | 155.7 | 1.62 |
Recorded crime depends on reporting and recording as well as on offending, so small differences between areas should not be over-read. See the methodology.