Crime in Accrington: statistics, rates and trends
5,483 crimes were recorded in Accrington in the 12 months to August 2026, 149.9 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 Accrington at a glance
- Crime trends in Accrington
- Types of crime in Accrington
- Accrington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Accrington
- Streets with the most crime in Accrington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Accrington
- Demographics of Accrington
- Questions about crime in Accrington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,045), anti-social behaviour (1,151) and shoplifting (443) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 67th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Accrington | Hyndburn | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,483 | 10,693 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 149.9 | 124.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -8% | -1% |
| Population | 36,582 | 86,058 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Accrington of any year here (5,483 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,483 | 149.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,871 | 160.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,913 | 161.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,606 | 153.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,036 | 165.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,798 | 185.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,681 | 182.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,315 | 172.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,196 | 196.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 481 |
| July 2026 | 491 |
| June 2026 | 445 |
| May 2026 | 435 |
| April 2026 | 411 |
| March 2026 | 452 |
| February 2026 | 446 |
| January 2026 | 440 |
| December 2025 | 468 |
| November 2025 | 450 |
| October 2025 | 531 |
| September 2025 | 433 |
Compared with England and Wales, Accrington recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (2.0 times the national rate), vehicle crime (95% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (86% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (59% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 240 to 354 and theft from the person rose from 20 to 25, while anti-social behaviour fell from 1,700 to 1,151 and burglary fell from 221 to 168.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,045 | 55.9 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,151 | 31.5 | 15.4 | -32% |
| Shoplifting | 443 | 12.1 | 8.5 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 354 | 9.7 | 5.0 | +48% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 348 | 9.5 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Public order | 309 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Other theft | 271 | 7.4 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Burglary | 168 | 4.6 | 3.6 | -24% |
| Drugs | 133 | 3.6 | 3.3 | -3% |
| Other crime | 114 | 3.1 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Possession of weapons | 66 | 1.8 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Robbery | 41 | 1.1 | 1.4 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 25 | 0.7 | 1.7 | +25% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Accrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oswaldtwistle | 1,109 | 121.6 | -19% |
| Clayton-le-Moors | 1,139 | 113.7 | -24% |
| Rishton | 638 | 91.0 | -39% |
| Great Harwood | 1,062 | 92.6 | -38% |
| Padiham | 1,527 | 137.7 | -8% |
| Haslingden | 1,234 | 73.7 | -51% |
| Rawtenstall | 1,613 | 77.8 | -48% |
| Blackburn (Blackburn with Darwen) | 14,354 | 113.1 | -25% |
Of the 7 areas within Accrington, Barnfield had the highest crime rate (244.0 per 1,000) and Baxenden the lowest (45.3), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnfield | Neighbourhood | 4,946 | 1,207 | 244.0 |
| Central | Neighbourhood | 6,043 | 1,234 | 204.2 |
| Peel | Neighbourhood | 4,779 | 825 | 172.6 |
| Milnshaw | Neighbourhood | 5,169 | 661 | 127.9 |
| Spring Hill | Neighbourhood | 6,062 | 752 | 124.1 |
| Huncoat | Neighbourhood | 4,833 | 336 | 69.5 |
| Baxenden | Neighbourhood | 4,063 | 184 | 45.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Accrington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (267).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 267 |
| On or near Supermarket | 207 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 160 |
| On or near Edgar Street | 143 |
| On or near Park Street | 121 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 120 |
| On or near Hyndburn Street | 114 |
| On or near Birch Street | 106 |
| On or near Sharples Street | 73 |
| On or near Croos Street | 72 |
Of the 4,332 crimes in Accrington with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,151 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,610 | 37.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,306 | 30.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 497 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 278 | 6.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 189 | 4.4% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 184 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 140 | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 58 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 31 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 20 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 16 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Accrington has an estimated population of 36,582 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and more households without a car (30%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Accrington average decile 2.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Accrington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 25.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 53.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Accrington a safe place to live?
Accrington recorded 149.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 67th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Accrington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,045 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,151).
Is crime in Accrington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Accrington was down 7% on the year before: 5,483 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,871 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Accrington?
About 36,582 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Accrington?
Accrington is policed by Lancashire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.