Crime in Banbury: statistics, rates and trends
5,437 crimes were recorded in Banbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 98.9 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,255), anti-social behaviour (628) and shoplifting (553) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 365th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Banbury | Cherwell | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,437 | 12,225 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 98.9 | 71.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 54,956 | 170,426 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Banbury peaked in the year to August 2022 (6,476 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (4,634). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 6%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,437 | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,475 | 99.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,716 | 104.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,140 | 111.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,476 | 117.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,800 | 105.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,845 | 88.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,634 | 84.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,110 | 93.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 485 |
| July 2026 | 519 |
| June 2026 | 507 |
| May 2026 | 436 |
| April 2026 | 471 |
| March 2026 | 443 |
| February 2026 | 458 |
| January 2026 | 420 |
| December 2025 | 405 |
| November 2025 | 424 |
| October 2025 | 432 |
| September 2025 | 437 |
Compared with England and Wales, Banbury recorded notably more public order (39% above the national rate) and bicycle theft (26% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (60% below) and vehicle crime (42% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 37 to 64 and bicycle theft rose from 39 to 57, while vehicle crime fell from 237 to 159 and possession of weapons fell from 55 to 39.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,255 | 41.0 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 628 | 11.4 | 15.4 | +23% |
| Shoplifting | 553 | 10.1 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Public order | 510 | 9.3 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 404 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Other theft | 311 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +18% |
| Drugs | 176 | 3.2 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 159 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -33% |
| Burglary | 152 | 2.8 | 3.6 | +10% |
| Other crime | 92 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Robbery | 64 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +73% |
| Bicycle theft | 57 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +46% |
| Possession of weapons | 39 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -29% |
| Theft from the person | 37 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -18% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Banbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodicote | 181 | 32.8 | -67% |
| Brackley | 633 | 37.5 | -62% |
| Shipston-on-Stour | 380 | 58.5 | -41% |
| Chipping Norton | 465 | 62.3 | -37% |
| Southam (Stratford-on-Avon) | 446 | 48.3 | -51% |
| Bicester | 3,255 | 83.2 | -16% |
| Wellesbourne | 329 | 44.2 | -55% |
| Towcester | 566 | 65.8 | -34% |
Of the 6 areas within Banbury, Banbury Cross and Neithrop had the highest crime rate (193.4 per 1,000) and Banbury Calthorpe and Easington the lowest (43.0), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banbury Cross and Neithrop | Neighbourhood | 12,676 | 2,452 | 193.4 |
| Banbury Ruscote | Neighbourhood | 10,456 | 956 | 91.4 |
| Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown | Neighbourhood | 11,230 | 974 | 86.7 |
| Banbury Hardwick | Neighbourhood | 10,896 | 549 | 50.4 |
| Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton | Neighbourhood | 10,594 | 480 | 45.3 |
| Banbury Calthorpe and Easington | Neighbourhood | 11,140 | 479 | 43.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Banbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (414).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 414 |
| On or near Parking Area | 321 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 243 |
| On or near Police Station | 132 |
| On or near Nightclub | 117 |
| On or near Dover Avenue | 91 |
| On or near Market Place | 83 |
| On or near High Street | 79 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 60 |
| On or near Bretch Hill | 53 |
Of the 4,809 crimes in Banbury with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 628 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,859 | 38.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,442 | 30.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 652 | 13.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 254 | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 175 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 154 | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 110 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 70 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 52 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 31 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 4 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Banbury has an estimated population of 54,956 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%), more private renting (25%, against 20%) and a younger population (15%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Banbury average decile 6.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Banbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Banbury a safe place to live?
Banbury recorded 98.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 365th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Banbury?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,255 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (628).
Is crime in Banbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Banbury was almost unchanged on the year before: 5,437 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,475 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Banbury?
About 54,956 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Banbury?
Banbury is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.