Crime in Fakenham: statistics, rates and trends
708 crimes were recorded in Fakenham in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 33% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Fakenham at a glance
- Crime trends in Fakenham
- Types of crime in Fakenham
- Fakenham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Fakenham
- Streets with the most crime in Fakenham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Fakenham
- Demographics of Fakenham
- Questions about crime in Fakenham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (285), anti-social behaviour (121) and shoplifting (74) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 517th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Fakenham | North Norfolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 708 | 5,331 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.7 | 51.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +33% | +12% | -1% |
| Population | 8,164 | 103,217 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Fakenham peaked in the year to August 2022 (835 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (492). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 43%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 708 | 86.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 533 | 65.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 492 | 60.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 552 | 67.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 835 | 102.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 637 | 78.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 508 | 62.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 553 | 67.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 494 | 60.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 69 |
| July 2026 | 74 |
| June 2026 | 65 |
| May 2026 | 88 |
| April 2026 | 61 |
| March 2026 | 64 |
| February 2026 | 45 |
| January 2026 | 49 |
| December 2025 | 44 |
| November 2025 | 49 |
| October 2025 | 53 |
| September 2025 | 47 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and other theft (30% below) and public order (23% below) were well below it. On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 25 to 60 and anti-social behaviour rose from 76 to 121, while shoplifting fell from 104 to 74 and public order fell from 50 to 42.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 285 | 34.9 | 34.2 | +44% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 121 | 14.8 | 15.4 | +59% |
| Shoplifting | 74 | 9.1 | 8.5 | -29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +140% |
| Public order | 42 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Other theft | 37 | 4.5 | 6.4 | +32% |
| Drugs | 25 | 3.1 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Burglary | 17 | 2.1 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 13 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 11 | 1.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Fakenham; the highest is King's Lynn (113.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Taverham and Drayton (26.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Fakenham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dereham | 1,704 | 79.1 | -9% |
| Swaffham | 597 | 78.7 | -9% |
| Sheringham | 385 | 56.5 | -35% |
| Aylsham | 363 | 49.0 | -43% |
| Taverham and Drayton | 413 | 26.3 | -70% |
| Watton | 764 | 57.4 | -34% |
| Horsford | 202 | 32.4 | -63% |
| King's Lynn | 5,606 | 113.4 | +31% |
Of the 2 areas within Fakenham, Lancaster South had the highest crime rate (101.8 per 1,000) and Lancaster North the lowest (68.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster South | Neighbourhood | 4,439 | 452 | 101.8 |
| Lancaster North | Neighbourhood | 3,725 | 256 | 68.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 47% of the crime recorded in Fakenham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (72).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 72 |
| On or near Star Meadow | 37 |
| On or near Saxon Way | 35 |
| On or near Norwich Street | 34 |
| On or near Baron'S Close | 33 |
| On or near Ratcliffe Road | 26 |
| On or near Mill Court | 25 |
| On or near Old Post Office Street | 24 |
| On or near Station Close | 24 |
| On or near Market Place | 21 |
Of the 587 crimes in Fakenham with a recorded outcome, 17% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 121 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 290 | 49.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 99 | 16.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 58 | 9.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 46 | 7.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 24 | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 24 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 17 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 2.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Fakenham has an estimated population of 8,164 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (31%, against 19%), fewer students (3.2%, against 7.9%) and more retired residents (33%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Fakenham average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Fakenham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 30.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 32.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Fakenham a safe place to live?
Fakenham recorded 86.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 517th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Fakenham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 285 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (121).
Is crime in Fakenham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Fakenham was up 33% on the year before: 708 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 533 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Fakenham?
About 8,164 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 31% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Fakenham?
Fakenham is policed by Norfolk.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.