Crime in Ampthill: statistics, rates and trends
370 crimes were recorded in Ampthill in the 12 months to August 2026, 39.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Ampthill at a glance
- Crime trends in Ampthill
- Types of crime in Ampthill
- Ampthill compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Ampthill
- Streets with the most crime in Ampthill
- What happened after crimes were reported in Ampthill
- Demographics of Ampthill
- Questions about crime in Ampthill
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (150), anti-social behaviour (69) and criminal damage and arson (35) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,288th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | Ampthill | Central Bedfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 370 | 19,387 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 39.9 | 61.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 9,272 | 315,877 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Ampthill peaked in the year to August 2018 (519 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (344). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 29%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 370 | 39.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 393 | 42.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 397 | 42.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 370 | 39.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 379 | 40.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 344 | 37.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 415 | 44.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 511 | 55.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 519 | 56.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 42 |
| July 2026 | 32 |
| June 2026 | 32 |
| May 2026 | 30 |
| April 2026 | 19 |
| March 2026 | 30 |
| February 2026 | 45 |
| January 2026 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 45 |
| November 2025 | 22 |
| October 2025 | 20 |
| September 2025 | 22 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (68% below) and other theft (58% below) were well below it. On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 29 to 35, while other theft fell from 36 to 25 and vehicle crime fell from 31 to 22.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 150 | 16.2 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 69 | 7.4 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 35 | 3.8 | 6.7 | +21% |
| Other theft | 25 | 2.7 | 6.4 | -31% |
| Vehicle crime | 22 | 2.4 | 5.0 | -29% |
| Public order | 20 | 2.2 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Burglary | 17 | 1.8 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 1.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 8 | 0.9 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 0.5 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Ampthill; the highest is Kempston (94.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Wootton (Bedford) (36.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Ampthill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flitwick | 571 | 50.0 | +25% |
| Marston Moretaine | 300 | 53.2 | +33% |
| Wixams | 588 | 69.9 | +75% |
| Barton-le-Clay | 198 | 39.4 | -1% |
| Wootton (Bedford) | 305 | 36.5 | -8% |
| Cranfield | 372 | 42.6 | +7% |
| Kempston | 2,008 | 94.2 | +136% |
| Shortstown | 413 | 70.1 | +76% |
Ampthill is the one area listed within Ampthill, with 38.0 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ampthill | Neighbourhood | 14,835 | 564 | 38.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 38% of the crime recorded in Ampthill over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Kings Arms Yard” (28).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Kings Arms Yard | 28 |
| On or near Sandhill Close | 22 |
| On or near Upper Lawn | 14 |
| On or near Moor Pond Piece | 13 |
| On or near Parking Area | 13 |
| On or near The Limes | 12 |
| On or near Fordfield Road | 10 |
| On or near Supermarket | 10 |
| On or near Preston Close | 9 |
| On or near Hazelwood Lane | 8 |
Of the 301 crimes in Ampthill with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 69 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 122 | 40.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 105 | 34.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 33 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 15 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 9 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 2.7% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 6 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 1 | 0.3% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Ampthill has an estimated population of 9,272 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (10%, against 23%), less social housing (9.5%, against 17.1%) and less private renting (12%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Ampthill average decile 9.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Ampthill | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 41.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 10.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 78.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 9.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 11.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 9.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Ampthill a safe place to live?
Ampthill recorded 39.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,288th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Ampthill?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 150 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (69).
Is crime in Ampthill going up or down?
Recorded crime in Ampthill was down 6% on the year before: 370 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 393 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Ampthill?
About 9,272 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Ampthill?
Ampthill is policed by Bedfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.