Crime in Gorleston-on-Sea: statistics, rates and trends
2,130 crimes were recorded in Gorleston-on-Sea in the 12 months to August 2026, 89.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Gorleston-on-Sea at a glance
- Crime trends in Gorleston-on-Sea
- Types of crime in Gorleston-on-Sea
- Gorleston-on-Sea compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Gorleston-on-Sea
- Streets with the most crime in Gorleston-on-Sea
- What happened after crimes were reported in Gorleston-on-Sea
- Demographics of Gorleston-on-Sea
- Questions about crime in Gorleston-on-Sea
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (910), anti-social behaviour (330) and criminal damage and arson (207) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 479th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Gorleston-on-Sea | Great Yarmouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,130 | 11,347 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 89.4 | 112.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 23,837 | 100,529 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Gorleston-on-Sea peaked in the year to August 2019 (2,824 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (2,061). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,130 | 89.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,146 | 90.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,096 | 87.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,061 | 86.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,661 | 111.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,681 | 112.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,520 | 105.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,824 | 118.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,547 | 106.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 189 |
| July 2026 | 193 |
| June 2026 | 193 |
| May 2026 | 191 |
| April 2026 | 213 |
| March 2026 | 191 |
| February 2026 | 148 |
| January 2026 | 133 |
| December 2025 | 138 |
| November 2025 | 168 |
| October 2025 | 202 |
| September 2025 | 171 |
Compared with England and Wales, Gorleston-on-Sea recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (29% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (48% below) and shoplifting (33% below). On the year before, other theft rose from 100 to 124 and public order rose from 134 to 157, while possession of weapons fell from 34 to 20 and shoplifting fell from 205 to 136.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 910 | 38.2 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 330 | 13.8 | 15.4 | +15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 207 | 8.7 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Public order | 157 | 6.6 | 6.7 | +17% |
| Shoplifting | 136 | 5.7 | 8.5 | -34% |
| Other theft | 124 | 5.2 | 6.4 | +24% |
| Vehicle crime | 62 | 2.6 | 5.0 | -9% |
| Burglary | 58 | 2.4 | 3.6 | -21% |
| Drugs | 55 | 2.3 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Other crime | 44 | 1.8 | 2.1 | -21% |
| Possession of weapons | 20 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -41% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Gorleston-on-Sea; the highest is Great Yarmouth (231.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Poringland (37.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Gorleston-on-Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradwell (Great Yarmouth) | 683 | 56.1 | -37% |
| Great Yarmouth | 6,872 | 231.1 | +159% |
| Caister-on-Sea | 453 | 52.7 | -41% |
| Lowestoft | 6,485 | 90.8 | +2% |
| Beccles | 637 | 62.0 | -31% |
| Brundall | 242 | 44.6 | -50% |
| Bungay | 280 | 54.0 | -40% |
| Poringland | 264 | 37.6 | -58% |
Of the 4 areas within Gorleston-on-Sea, St Andrews had the highest crime rate (126.6 per 1,000) and Gorleston the lowest (44.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Andrews | Neighbourhood | 4,764 | 603 | 126.6 |
| Claydon | Neighbourhood | 7,818 | 822 | 105.1 |
| Magdalen | Neighbourhood | 7,476 | 652 | 87.2 |
| Gorleston | Neighbourhood | 5,203 | 229 | 44.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Gorleston-on-Sea over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (123).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 123 |
| On or near Hospital | 113 |
| On or near New College Close | 49 |
| On or near Palmer Road | 46 |
| On or near Crab Lane | 43 |
| On or near Keppel Road | 40 |
| On or near Windsor Way | 31 |
| On or near Oak Road | 26 |
| On or near University Crescent | 26 |
| On or near Cambridge Avenue | 25 |
Of the 1,800 crimes in Gorleston-on-Sea with a recorded outcome, 22% 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 330 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 811 | 45.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 393 | 21.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 204 | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 103 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 80 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 72 | 4.0% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 49 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 47 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 21 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 11 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Gorleston-on-Sea has an estimated population of 23,837 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (20%, against 34%), more social housing (24%, against 17%) and more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Gorleston-on-Sea average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Gorleston-on-Sea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Gorleston-on-Sea a safe place to live?
Gorleston-on-Sea recorded 89.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 479th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Gorleston-on-Sea?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 910 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (330).
Is crime in Gorleston-on-Sea going up or down?
Recorded crime in Gorleston-on-Sea was almost unchanged on the year before: 2,130 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,146 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Gorleston-on-Sea?
About 23,837 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Gorleston-on-Sea?
Gorleston-on-Sea 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.