Crime in Chorley: statistics, rates and trends
4,805 crimes were recorded in Chorley in the 12 months to August 2026, 115.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than 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 (2,015), anti-social behaviour (946) and criminal damage and arson (351) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 208th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Chorley | Chorley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,805 | 9,473 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 115.4 | 78.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 41,631 | 120,839 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Chorley peaked in the year to August 2021 (5,900 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (4,791). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,805 | 115.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,791 | 115.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,476 | 131.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,429 | 130.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,727 | 137.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,900 | 141.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,711 | 137.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,138 | 123.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,288 | 127.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 365 |
| July 2026 | 404 |
| June 2026 | 446 |
| May 2026 | 441 |
| April 2026 | 433 |
| March 2026 | 369 |
| February 2026 | 313 |
| January 2026 | 376 |
| December 2025 | 448 |
| November 2025 | 399 |
| October 2025 | 394 |
| September 2025 | 417 |
Compared with England and Wales, Chorley recorded notably more possession of weapons (49% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (48% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (41% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (67% below) and vehicle crime (45% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 42 to 60 and robbery rose from 27 to 38, while anti-social behaviour fell from 1,472 to 946 and vehicle crime fell from 148 to 114.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,015 | 48.4 | 34.2 | +21% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 946 | 22.7 | 15.4 | -36% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 351 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Shoplifting | 326 | 7.8 | 8.5 | +23% |
| Public order | 300 | 7.2 | 6.7 | +28% |
| Other theft | 240 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Burglary | 132 | 3.2 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Drugs | 128 | 3.1 | 3.3 | +25% |
| Vehicle crime | 114 | 2.7 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Other crime | 108 | 2.6 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 60 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +43% |
| Robbery | 38 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +41% |
| Bicycle theft | 24 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Theft from the person | 23 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +15% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chorley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euxton | 845 | 50.4 | -56% |
| Coppull | 470 | 56.8 | -51% |
| Adlington (Chorley) | 653 | 64.3 | -44% |
| Leyland | 3,668 | 90.0 | -22% |
| Bamber Bridge | 3,825 | 91.9 | -20% |
| Penwortham | 1,130 | 62.8 | -46% |
| Darwen | 3,013 | 102.7 | -11% |
| Longton | 365 | 31.9 | -72% |
Of the 5 areas within Chorley, Chorley South East & Heath Charnock had the highest crime rate (161.0 per 1,000) and Chorley South West the lowest (74.6).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chorley South East & Heath Charnock | Neighbourhood | 10,439 | 1,681 | 161.0 |
| Chorley North West | Neighbourhood | 7,801 | 901 | 115.5 |
| Chorley East | Neighbourhood | 8,963 | 1,010 | 112.7 |
| Chorley North & Astley | Neighbourhood | 8,523 | 753 | 88.3 |
| Chorley South West | Neighbourhood | 8,030 | 599 | 74.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Chorley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (166).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 166 |
| On or near Dutch Barn Close | 164 |
| On or near Supermarket | 115 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 111 |
| On or near Parking Area | 92 |
| On or near Market Walk | 82 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 79 |
| On or near King Street | 73 |
| On or near Cannon Street | 65 |
| On or near Market Street | 61 |
Of the 3,859 crimes in Chorley with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 946 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,585 | 41.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 902 | 23.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 476 | 12.3% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 242 | 6.3% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 197 | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 166 | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 139 | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 67 | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 29 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 22 | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Chorley has an estimated population of 41,631 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chorley average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Chorley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Chorley a safe place to live?
Chorley recorded 115.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 208th 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 anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Chorley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,015 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (946).
Is crime in Chorley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chorley was almost unchanged on the year before: 4,805 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,791 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chorley?
About 41,631 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chorley?
Chorley 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.