Crime in Birstall: statistics, rates and trends
801 crimes were recorded in Birstall in the 12 months to August 2026, 54.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Birstall at a glance
- Crime trends in Birstall
- Types of crime in Birstall
- Birstall compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Birstall
- Streets with the most crime in Birstall
- What happened after crimes were reported in Birstall
- Demographics of Birstall
- Questions about crime in Birstall
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (266), anti-social behaviour (119) and criminal damage and arson (89) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,079th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Birstall | Charnwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 801 | 15,129 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 54.1 | 80.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 14,817 | 188,385 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Birstall peaked in the year to August 2025 (887 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (632). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 801 | 54.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 887 | 59.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 693 | 46.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 827 | 55.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 632 | 42.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 645 | 43.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 731 | 49.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 765 | 51.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 802 | 54.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 68 |
| July 2026 | 75 |
| June 2026 | 70 |
| May 2026 | 95 |
| April 2026 | 61 |
| March 2026 | 54 |
| February 2026 | 45 |
| January 2026 | 54 |
| December 2025 | 57 |
| November 2025 | 67 |
| October 2025 | 83 |
| September 2025 | 72 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (66% below) and other theft (51% below) were well below it. On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 62 to 89 and shoplifting rose from 37 to 43, while vehicle crime fell from 122 to 72 and burglary fell from 67 to 41.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 266 | 18.0 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 119 | 8.0 | 15.4 | -13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 89 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +44% |
| Vehicle crime | 72 | 4.9 | 5.0 | -41% |
| Public order | 71 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Other theft | 47 | 3.2 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 43 | 2.9 | 8.5 | +16% |
| Burglary | 41 | 2.8 | 3.6 | -39% |
| Drugs | 19 | 1.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 15 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 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 Birstall; the highest is Leicester (115.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Groby (43.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Birstall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurmaston | 814 | 81.1 | +50% |
| Syston | 931 | 69.5 | +29% |
| Anstey | 497 | 63.4 | +17% |
| Mountsorrel | 829 | 57.6 | +7% |
| Leicester | 49,035 | 115.6 | +114% |
| Sileby | 637 | 70.2 | +30% |
| Groby | 295 | 43.0 | -20% |
| Quorndon | 301 | 53.0 | -2% |
Of the 2 areas within Birstall, Birstall East & Wanlip had the highest crime rate (64.7 per 1,000) and Birstall West the lowest (45.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birstall East & Wanlip | Neighbourhood | 6,831 | 442 | 64.7 |
| Birstall West | Neighbourhood | 7,986 | 359 | 45.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Birstall over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Field Leys Way” (56).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Field Leys Way | 56 |
| On or near Supermarket | 50 |
| On or near Parking Area | 48 |
| On or near Wanlip Lane | 36 |
| On or near Blenheim Road | 35 |
| On or near Birstall Meadow Road | 21 |
| On or near Myrtle Avenue | 19 |
| On or near East Road | 17 |
| On or near Lambourne Road | 16 |
| On or near Malling Close | 16 |
Of the 682 crimes in Birstall with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 119 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 297 | 43.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 222 | 32.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 62 | 9.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 24 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 3.2% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 10 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 10 | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 9 | 1.3% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Birstall has an estimated population of 14,817 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (5.3%, against 17.1%), fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%) and less private renting (13%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Birstall average decile 8.4 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Birstall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 12.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 81.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 5.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Birstall a safe place to live?
Birstall recorded 54.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,079th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Birstall?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 266 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (119).
Is crime in Birstall going up or down?
Recorded crime in Birstall was down 10% on the year before: 801 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 887 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Birstall?
About 14,817 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Birstall?
Birstall is policed by Leicestershire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.