Crime in Colne: statistics, rates and trends
2,469 crimes were recorded in Colne in the 12 months to August 2026, 122.1 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 14% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (920), anti-social behaviour (551) and criminal damage and arson (200) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 164th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Colne | Pendle | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,469 | 9,233 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 122.1 | 92.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -14% | -8% | -1% |
| Population | 20,213 | 99,777 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Colne of any year here (2,469 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,469 | 122.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,859 | 141.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,790 | 138.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,808 | 138.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,074 | 152.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,157 | 156.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,020 | 149.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,967 | 146.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,125 | 154.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 184 |
| July 2026 | 202 |
| June 2026 | 203 |
| May 2026 | 229 |
| April 2026 | 228 |
| March 2026 | 182 |
| February 2026 | 185 |
| January 2026 | 194 |
| December 2025 | 210 |
| November 2025 | 198 |
| October 2025 | 237 |
| September 2025 | 217 |
Compared with England and Wales, Colne recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (77% above the national rate), burglary (75% above the national rate) and other crime (50% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (30% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 31 to 67 and burglary rose from 84 to 126, while anti-social behaviour fell from 943 to 551 and criminal damage and arson fell from 245 to 200.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 920 | 45.5 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 551 | 27.3 | 15.4 | -42% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 200 | 9.9 | 6.7 | -18% |
| Shoplifting | 156 | 7.7 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Public order | 147 | 7.3 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Burglary | 126 | 6.2 | 3.6 | +50% |
| Other theft | 115 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 70 | 3.5 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Drugs | 67 | 3.3 | 3.3 | +116% |
| Other crime | 64 | 3.2 | 2.1 | +14% |
| Possession of weapons | 26 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0% |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Colne; the highest is Burnley (146.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Barnoldswick (52.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Colne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrowford | 451 | 66.1 | -46% |
| Nelson (Pendle) | 3,882 | 107.9 | -12% |
| Brierfield | 1,205 | 96.6 | -21% |
| Barnoldswick | 580 | 52.0 | -57% |
| Burnley | 12,274 | 146.3 | +20% |
| Padiham | 1,527 | 137.7 | +13% |
| Steeton | 401 | 75.6 | -38% |
| Skipton | 1,217 | 76.6 | -37% |
Of the 3 areas within Colne, Vivary Bridge had the highest crime rate (145.8 per 1,000) and Boulsworth & Foulridge the lowest (47.0), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivary Bridge | Neighbourhood | 7,215 | 1,052 | 145.8 |
| Waterside & Horsfield | Neighbourhood | 8,249 | 1,179 | 142.9 |
| Boulsworth & Foulridge | Neighbourhood | 8,369 | 393 | 47.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Colne over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (88).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 88 |
| On or near Dockray Court | 77 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 58 |
| On or near Parking Area | 42 |
| On or near Back Zion Street | 41 |
| On or near Colne | 36 |
| On or near Glen Street | 36 |
| On or near Lilac Street | 36 |
| On or near Slater Avenue | 35 |
| On or near North Street | 34 |
Of the 1,918 crimes in Colne with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 551 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 747 | 38.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 542 | 28.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 180 | 9.4% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 169 | 8.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 86 | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 80 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 51 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 29 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 21 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 4 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Colne has an estimated population of 20,213 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.2%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (26%, against 34%) and more residents with no qualifications (22%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Colne average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Colne | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 37.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Colne a safe place to live?
Colne recorded 122.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 164th 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 burglary.
What is the most common crime in Colne?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 920 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (551).
Is crime in Colne going up or down?
Recorded crime in Colne was down 14% on the year before: 2,469 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,859 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Colne?
About 20,213 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Colne?
Colne 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.