Crime in Blackpool: statistics, rates and trends
27,268 crimes were recorded in Blackpool in the 12 months to August 2026, 176.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 14% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Blackpool at a glance
- Crime trends in Blackpool
- Types of crime in Blackpool
- Blackpool compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Blackpool
- Streets with the most crime in Blackpool
- What happened after crimes were reported in Blackpool
- Demographics of Blackpool
- Questions about crime in Blackpool
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,366), anti-social behaviour (5,713) and criminal damage and arson (1,870) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 25th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Blackpool | Blackpool | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 27,268 | 26,386 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 176.9 | 183.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -14% | -14% | -1% |
| Population | 154,112 | 144,191 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Blackpool of any year here (27,268 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 27,268 | 176.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 31,696 | 205.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 31,130 | 202.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 31,462 | 204.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 33,929 | 220.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 35,238 | 228.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 33,830 | 219.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 33,886 | 219.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 36,540 | 237.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,370 |
| July 2026 | 2,639 |
| June 2026 | 2,491 |
| May 2026 | 2,465 |
| April 2026 | 2,166 |
| March 2026 | 2,089 |
| February 2026 | 1,844 |
| January 2026 | 2,003 |
| December 2025 | 2,218 |
| November 2025 | 2,204 |
| October 2025 | 2,424 |
| September 2025 | 2,355 |
Compared with England and Wales, Blackpool recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (2.4 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.3 times the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (39% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour fell from 9,216 to 5,713 and theft from the person fell from 203 to 159.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,366 | 73.8 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,713 | 37.1 | 15.4 | -38% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,870 | 12.1 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Public order | 1,624 | 10.5 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 1,612 | 10.5 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 1,238 | 8.0 | 8.5 | -21% |
| Vehicle crime | 884 | 5.7 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Burglary | 724 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -17% |
| Drugs | 714 | 4.6 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Other crime | 630 | 4.1 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Possession of weapons | 340 | 2.2 | 1.0 | +3% |
| Robbery | 242 | 1.6 | 1.4 | -11% |
| Theft from the person | 159 | 1.0 | 1.7 | -22% |
| Bicycle theft | 152 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +3% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Blackpool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poulton-le-Fylde | 812 | 67.5 | -62% |
| Thornton (Wyre) | 1,371 | 69.2 | -61% |
| Cleveleys | 1,221 | 97.0 | -45% |
| Lytham St Anne's | 3,302 | 75.4 | -57% |
| Fleetwood | 3,004 | 120.3 | -32% |
| Kirkham | 683 | 83.0 | -53% |
| Warton (Fylde) | 344 | 59.4 | -66% |
| Banks | 218 | 42.6 | -76% |
Of the 22 areas within Blackpool, Talbot had the highest crime rate (633.6 per 1,000) and Stanley the lowest (52.1), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talbot | Neighbourhood | 6,681 | 4,233 | 633.6 |
| Claremont | Neighbourhood | 8,447 | 3,638 | 430.7 |
| Bloomfield | Neighbourhood | 7,952 | 3,358 | 422.3 |
| Clifton | Neighbourhood | 6,786 | 1,664 | 245.2 |
| Waterloo | Neighbourhood | 6,836 | 1,539 | 225.1 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 7,647 | 1,440 | 188.3 |
| Brunswick | Neighbourhood | 7,083 | 1,232 | 173.9 |
| Victoria | Neighbourhood | 6,752 | 1,001 | 148.3 |
| Ingthorpe | Neighbourhood | 6,549 | 916 | 139.9 |
| Tyldesley | Neighbourhood | 6,972 | 937 | 134.4 |
| Warbreck | Neighbourhood | 6,692 | 828 | 123.7 |
| Marton | Neighbourhood | 7,149 | 862 | 120.6 |
| Hawes Side | Neighbourhood | 7,183 | 796 | 110.8 |
| Layton | Neighbourhood | 6,970 | 746 | 107.0 |
| Highfield | Neighbourhood | 7,839 | 650 | 82.9 |
| Greenlands | Neighbourhood | 6,674 | 530 | 79.4 |
| Squires Gate | Neighbourhood | 6,232 | 472 | 75.7 |
| Bispham | Neighbourhood | 6,181 | 461 | 74.6 |
| Norbreck | Neighbourhood | 6,046 | 440 | 72.8 |
| Wrea Green with Westby | Neighbourhood | 4,340 | 259 | 59.7 |
| Anchorsholme | Neighbourhood | 6,145 | 363 | 59.1 |
| Stanley | Neighbourhood | 5,375 | 280 | 52.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Blackpool over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,526).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,526 |
| On or near Nightclub | 575 |
| On or near Clifton Street | 485 |
| On or near Hull Road | 477 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 408 |
| On or near Supermarket | 363 |
| On or near The Strand | 329 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 328 |
| On or near Winster Place | 316 |
| On or near Queen Street | 290 |
Of the 21,555 crimes in Blackpool with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 5,713 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 8,891 | 41.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,369 | 24.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,644 | 12.3% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,134 | 5.3% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,026 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 982 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 676 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 448 | 2.1% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 183 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 124 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 43 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 28 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Blackpool has an estimated population of 154,112 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (31%, against 20%), more households without a car (33%, against 23%) and less social housing (10%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Blackpool average decile 3.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Blackpool | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 38.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Blackpool a safe place to live?
Blackpool recorded 176.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 25th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Blackpool?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,366 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (5,713).
Is crime in Blackpool going up or down?
Recorded crime in Blackpool was down 14% on the year before: 27,268 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 31,696 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Blackpool?
About 154,112 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Blackpool?
Blackpool is policed by Lancashire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.