Crime in Formby: statistics, rates and trends
1,144 crimes were recorded in Formby in the 12 months to August 2026, 50.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (424), anti-social behaviour (186) and shoplifting (173) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,140th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Formby | Sefton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,144 | 24,393 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 50.3 | 85.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 22,766 | 286,281 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Formby peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,441 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,069). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,144 | 50.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,109 | 48.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,069 | 47.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,223 | 53.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,395 | 61.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,441 | 63.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,223 | 53.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,156 | 50.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,275 | 56.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 96 |
| July 2026 | 128 |
| June 2026 | 108 |
| May 2026 | 122 |
| April 2026 | 104 |
| March 2026 | 87 |
| February 2026 | 81 |
| January 2026 | 76 |
| December 2025 | 69 |
| November 2025 | 67 |
| October 2025 | 108 |
| September 2025 | 98 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and burglary (63% below) and other theft (61% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 92 to 173 and anti-social behaviour rose from 135 to 186, while criminal damage and arson fell from 92 to 60 and other theft fell from 73 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 424 | 18.6 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 186 | 8.2 | 15.4 | +38% |
| Shoplifting | 173 | 7.6 | 8.5 | +88% |
| Public order | 89 | 3.9 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 2.6 | 6.7 | -35% |
| Other theft | 57 | 2.5 | 6.4 | -22% |
| Drugs | 45 | 2.0 | 3.3 | +18% |
| Burglary | 30 | 1.3 | 3.6 | -14% |
| Other crime | 27 | 1.2 | 2.1 | +17% |
| Vehicle crime | 18 | 0.8 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Formby; the highest is Bootle (Sefton) (132.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Lydiate (35.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Formby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby (Sefton) | 3,778 | 73.1 | +46% |
| Lydiate | 299 | 35.9 | -29% |
| Maghull | 973 | 49.7 | -1% |
| Southport | 7,588 | 80.0 | +59% |
| Litherland | 1,739 | 102.9 | +105% |
| Bootle (Sefton) | 7,572 | 132.4 | +163% |
| Ormskirk | 1,518 | 49.8 | -1% |
| Aintree | 612 | 92.1 | +83% |
Of the 2 areas within Formby, Harington had the highest crime rate (51.4 per 1,000) and Ravenmeols the lowest (48.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harington | Neighbourhood | 12,219 | 628 | 51.4 |
| Ravenmeols | Neighbourhood | 11,889 | 574 | 48.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Formby over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (82).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 82 |
| On or near Supermarket | 75 |
| On or near Cross Green | 71 |
| On or near Sumner Road | 46 |
| On or near Lunt'S Lane | 41 |
| On or near Westview Close | 29 |
| On or near The Paddock | 21 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 20 |
| On or near Alt Road | 19 |
| On or near Cricket Path | 16 |
Of the 958 crimes in Formby with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 186 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 358 | 37.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 319 | 33.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 109 | 11.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 55 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 28 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 27 | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 24 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 1.7% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Formby has an estimated population of 22,766 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (3.7%, against 17.1%), more retired residents (37%, against 22%) and an older population (31%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Formby average decile 8.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Formby | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 30.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 36.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 86.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 3.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 10.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Formby a safe place to live?
Formby recorded 50.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,140th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Formby?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 424 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (186).
Is crime in Formby going up or down?
Recorded crime in Formby was up 3% on the year before: 1,144 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,109 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Formby?
About 22,766 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 31% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Formby?
Formby is policed by Merseyside.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.