Crime in Consett: statistics, rates and trends
2,831 crimes were recorded in Consett in the 12 months to August 2026, 100.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 14% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,008), anti-social behaviour (521) and shoplifting (360) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 345th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Consett | County Durham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,831 | 64,837 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 100.1 | 120.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +14% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 28,288 | 538,011 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Consett peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,949 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (2,337). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 4%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,831 | 100.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,491 | 88.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,545 | 90.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,720 | 96.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,337 | 82.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,460 | 87.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,617 | 92.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,631 | 93.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,949 | 104.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 329 |
| July 2026 | 326 |
| June 2026 | 215 |
| May 2026 | 262 |
| April 2026 | 292 |
| March 2026 | 190 |
| February 2026 | 184 |
| January 2026 | 187 |
| December 2025 | 182 |
| November 2025 | 204 |
| October 2025 | 245 |
| September 2025 | 215 |
Compared with England and Wales, Consett recorded notably more shoplifting (51% above the national rate), criminal damage and arson (44% above the national rate) and other crime (34% above the national rate), and notably less drugs (68% below) and robbery (43% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 67 to 102 and other theft rose from 112 to 156, while drugs fell from 49 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,008 | 35.6 | 34.2 | +14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 521 | 18.4 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Shoplifting | 360 | 12.7 | 8.5 | +29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 274 | 9.7 | 6.7 | +32% |
| Public order | 185 | 6.5 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 156 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +39% |
| Vehicle crime | 102 | 3.6 | 5.0 | +52% |
| Other crime | 80 | 2.8 | 2.1 | +38% |
| Burglary | 70 | 2.5 | 3.6 | +11% |
| Drugs | 30 | 1.1 | 3.3 | -39% |
| Robbery | 22 | 0.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 13 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 6 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Consett; the highest is Stanley (County Durham) (160.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Crawcrook and Greenside (48.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Consett |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annfield Plain | 1,083 | 133.0 | +33% |
| Rowlands Gill | 357 | 63.9 | -36% |
| Stanley (County Durham) | 3,177 | 160.9 | +61% |
| Prudhoe | 690 | 62.9 | -37% |
| Esh Winning | 527 | 99.4 | -1% |
| Crawcrook and Greenside | 398 | 48.8 | -51% |
| Blaydon | 1,342 | 98.4 | -2% |
| Sacriston | 600 | 113.4 | +13% |
Of the 4 areas within Consett, Delves Lane had the highest crime rate (128.9 per 1,000) and Benfieldside the lowest (59.9).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delves Lane | Neighbourhood | 10,291 | 1,327 | 128.9 |
| Consett North | Neighbourhood | 5,686 | 660 | 116.1 |
| Consett South | Neighbourhood | 5,794 | 419 | 72.3 |
| Benfieldside | Neighbourhood | 9,788 | 586 | 59.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Consett over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (174).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 174 |
| On or near Supermarket | 126 |
| On or near Boyd Street | 121 |
| On or near Mason Street | 106 |
| On or near Ponds Court | 97 |
| On or near Oxley Street | 69 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 64 |
| On or near Parking Area | 60 |
| On or near Green Street | 51 |
| On or near Castledene Road | 49 |
Of the 2,310 crimes in Consett with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 521 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 891 | 38.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 702 | 30.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 338 | 14.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 112 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 69 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 55 | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 44 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 27 | 1.2% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 22 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 17 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Consett has an estimated population of 28,288 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.5%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Consett average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Consett | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Consett a safe place to live?
Consett recorded 100.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 345th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Consett?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,008 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (521).
Is crime in Consett going up or down?
Recorded crime in Consett was up 14% on the year before: 2,831 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,491 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Consett?
About 28,288 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Consett?
Consett is policed by Durham.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.