Crime in Barrow-in-Furness: statistics, rates and trends
6,044 crimes were recorded in Barrow-in-Furness in the 12 months to August 2026, 113.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Barrow-in-Furness at a glance
- Crime trends in Barrow-in-Furness
- Types of crime in Barrow-in-Furness
- Barrow-in-Furness compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Barrow-in-Furness
- Streets with the most crime in Barrow-in-Furness
- What happened after crimes were reported in Barrow-in-Furness
- Demographics of Barrow-in-Furness
- Questions about crime in Barrow-in-Furness
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,793), public order (628) and criminal damage and arson (607) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 231st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Barrow-in-Furness | Westmorland and Furness | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,044 | 16,568 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 113.4 | 72.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 53,306 | 230,185 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Barrow-in-Furness of any year here (6,044 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,044 | 113.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,226 | 116.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,261 | 117.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,218 | 116.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,954 | 130.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,471 | 121.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,731 | 126.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,121 | 133.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,986 | 131.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 498 |
| July 2026 | 578 |
| June 2026 | 553 |
| May 2026 | 516 |
| April 2026 | 475 |
| March 2026 | 498 |
| February 2026 | 370 |
| January 2026 | 485 |
| December 2025 | 539 |
| November 2025 | 495 |
| October 2025 | 492 |
| September 2025 | 545 |
Compared with England and Wales, Barrow-in-Furness recorded notably more possession of weapons (90% above the national rate), public order (77% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (69% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (65% below) and robbery (57% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 144 to 196 and vehicle crime rose from 71 to 92, while other crime fell from 242 to 146 and anti-social behaviour fell from 531 to 361.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,793 | 52.4 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Public order | 628 | 11.8 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 607 | 11.4 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 463 | 8.7 | 8.5 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 361 | 6.8 | 15.4 | -32% |
| Other theft | 289 | 5.4 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Drugs | 272 | 5.1 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Burglary | 196 | 3.7 | 3.6 | +36% |
| Other crime | 146 | 2.7 | 2.1 | -40% |
| Possession of weapons | 98 | 1.8 | 1.0 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 92 | 1.7 | 5.0 | +30% |
| Bicycle theft | 52 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +18% |
| Robbery | 31 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +24% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Barrow-in-Furness; the highest is Morecambe (140.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Bolton-le-Sands (37.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Barrow-in-Furness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton-in-Furness | 560 | 76.5 | -33% |
| Millom | 279 | 49.9 | -56% |
| Ulverston | 756 | 72.2 | -36% |
| Heysham | 1,189 | 80.1 | -29% |
| Morecambe | 4,511 | 140.9 | +24% |
| Fleetwood | 3,004 | 120.3 | +6% |
| Bolton-le-Sands | 266 | 37.0 | -67% |
| Lancaster | 5,614 | 116.4 | +3% |
Of the 5 areas within Barrow-in-Furness, Old Barrow and Hindpool had the highest crime rate (277.4 per 1,000) and Walney Island the lowest (46.6), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Barrow and Hindpool | Neighbourhood | 11,562 | 3,207 | 277.4 |
| Ormsgill and Parkside | Neighbourhood | 10,572 | 981 | 92.8 |
| Risedale and Roosecote | Neighbourhood | 11,893 | 812 | 68.3 |
| Hawcoat and Newbarns | Neighbourhood | 11,442 | 700 | 61.2 |
| Walney Island | Neighbourhood | 10,592 | 494 | 46.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Barrow-in-Furness over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (342).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 342 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 256 |
| On or near Supermarket | 190 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 153 |
| On or near Hospital | 134 |
| On or near Steel Street | 93 |
| On or near William Street | 85 |
| On or near Andrews Way | 83 |
| On or near Stark Street | 73 |
| On or near Burlington Street | 54 |
Of the 5,683 crimes in Barrow-in-Furness with a recorded outcome, 22% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 361 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,132 | 37.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,230 | 21.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 850 | 15.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 463 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 302 | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 253 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 185 | 3.3% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 89 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 73 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 60 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 24 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
Barrow-in-Furness has an estimated population of 53,306 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.1%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and more households without a car (30%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Barrow-in-Furness average decile 4.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Barrow-in-Furness | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 24.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Barrow-in-Furness a safe place to live?
Barrow-in-Furness recorded 113.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 231st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and public order.
What is the most common crime in Barrow-in-Furness?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,793 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (628).
Is crime in Barrow-in-Furness going up or down?
Recorded crime in Barrow-in-Furness was down 3% on the year before: 6,044 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,226 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Barrow-in-Furness?
About 53,306 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Barrow-in-Furness?
Barrow-in-Furness is policed by Cumbria.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.