Crime in Bexhill-on-Sea: statistics, rates and trends
3,992 crimes were recorded in Bexhill-on-Sea in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bexhill-on-Sea at a glance
- Crime trends in Bexhill-on-Sea
- Types of crime in Bexhill-on-Sea
- Bexhill-on-Sea compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bexhill-on-Sea
- Streets with the most crime in Bexhill-on-Sea
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bexhill-on-Sea
- Demographics of Bexhill-on-Sea
- Questions about crime in Bexhill-on-Sea
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,342), anti-social behaviour (860) and shoplifting (534) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 520th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Bexhill-on-Sea | Rother | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,992 | 6,923 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.4 | 72.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 46,206 | 96,133 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bexhill-on-Sea peaked in the year to August 2020 (4,370 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (3,454). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,992 | 86.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,163 | 90.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,232 | 91.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,798 | 82.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,693 | 79.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,953 | 85.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,370 | 94.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,149 | 89.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,454 | 74.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 361 |
| July 2026 | 452 |
| June 2026 | 372 |
| May 2026 | 386 |
| April 2026 | 270 |
| March 2026 | 346 |
| February 2026 | 276 |
| January 2026 | 253 |
| December 2025 | 295 |
| November 2025 | 293 |
| October 2025 | 352 |
| September 2025 | 336 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bexhill-on-Sea recorded notably more shoplifting (37% above the national rate), and notably less robbery (59% below) and vehicle crime (56% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 69 to 85 and anti-social behaviour rose from 701 to 860, while robbery fell from 37 to 26 and shoplifting fell from 755 to 534.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,342 | 29.0 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 860 | 18.6 | 15.4 | +23% |
| Shoplifting | 534 | 11.6 | 8.5 | -29% |
| Public order | 320 | 6.9 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 311 | 6.7 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Other theft | 194 | 4.2 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 101 | 2.2 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Burglary | 85 | 1.8 | 3.6 | +23% |
| Drugs | 72 | 1.6 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Other crime | 66 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 46 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +12% |
| Robbery | 26 | 0.6 | 1.4 | -30% |
| Bicycle theft | 25 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +14% |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bexhill-on-Sea; the highest is Hastings (146.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Heathfield (Wealden) (44.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bexhill-on-Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 13,338 | 146.2 | +69% |
| Eastbourne | 14,430 | 144.4 | +67% |
| Hailsham | 1,803 | 83.4 | -4% |
| Polegate | 570 | 60.3 | -30% |
| Lower Willingdon | 405 | 50.1 | -42% |
| Heathfield (Wealden) | 373 | 44.9 | -48% |
| Hawkhurst | 285 | 54.8 | -37% |
| Seaford | 1,141 | 47.7 | -45% |
Of the 9 areas within Bexhill-on-Sea, Bexhill Sackville had the highest crime rate (155.0 per 1,000) and Bexhill Collington the lowest (42.1), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexhill Sackville | Neighbourhood | 4,774 | 740 | 155.0 |
| Bexhill Central | Neighbourhood | 6,160 | 870 | 141.2 |
| Bexhill Sidley | Neighbourhood | 6,289 | 768 | 122.1 |
| Bexhill St Stephens | Neighbourhood | 4,683 | 382 | 81.6 |
| Bexhill Pebsham & St Michaels | Neighbourhood | 5,338 | 329 | 61.6 |
| Bexhill Old Town & Worsham | Neighbourhood | 4,724 | 265 | 56.1 |
| Bexhill Kewhurst | Neighbourhood | 4,812 | 226 | 47.0 |
| Bexhill St Marks | Neighbourhood | 5,293 | 238 | 45.0 |
| Bexhill Collington | Neighbourhood | 4,133 | 174 | 42.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 28% of the crime recorded in Bexhill-on-Sea over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (233).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 233 |
| On or near Parking Area | 221 |
| On or near Sea Road | 166 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 125 |
| On or near Brett Drive | 78 |
| On or near Gleneagles Close | 75 |
| On or near Sackville Road | 69 |
| On or near Elm Close | 56 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 55 |
| On or near Dorset Road | 53 |
Of the 3,132 crimes in Bexhill-on-Sea with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 860 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,378 | 44.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,056 | 33.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 258 | 8.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 146 | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 88 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 76 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 55 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 29 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Bexhill-on-Sea has an estimated population of 46,206 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more retired residents (39%, against 22%), an older population (34%, against 19%) and fewer students (3.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bexhill-on-Sea average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bexhill-on-Sea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 34.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 44.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 39.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 9.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 7.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bexhill-on-Sea a safe place to live?
Bexhill-on-Sea recorded 86.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 520th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Bexhill-on-Sea?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,342 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (860).
Is crime in Bexhill-on-Sea going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bexhill-on-Sea was down 4% on the year before: 3,992 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,163 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bexhill-on-Sea?
About 46,206 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 34% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bexhill-on-Sea?
Bexhill-on-Sea is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.