Crime in Great Harwood: statistics, rates and trends
1,062 crimes were recorded in Great Harwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 92.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 22% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Great Harwood at a glance
- Crime trends in Great Harwood
- Types of crime in Great Harwood
- Great Harwood compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Great Harwood
- Streets with the most crime in Great Harwood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Great Harwood
- Demographics of Great Harwood
- Questions about crime in Great Harwood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (434), anti-social behaviour (216) and criminal damage and arson (88) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 434th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Great Harwood | Hyndburn | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,062 | 10,693 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 92.6 | 124.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -22% | -8% | -1% |
| Population | 11,468 | 86,058 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Great Harwood peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,355 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (990). 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 | 1,062 | 92.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,355 | 118.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 990 | 86.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,240 | 108.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,286 | 112.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,333 | 116.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,277 | 111.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,185 | 103.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,264 | 110.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 71 |
| July 2026 | 80 |
| June 2026 | 117 |
| May 2026 | 76 |
| April 2026 | 79 |
| March 2026 | 78 |
| February 2026 | 79 |
| January 2026 | 102 |
| December 2025 | 104 |
| November 2025 | 70 |
| October 2025 | 93 |
| September 2025 | 113 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (37% below) and public order (33% below) were well below it. On the year before, vehicle crime fell from 89 to 46 and anti-social behaviour fell from 394 to 216.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 434 | 37.8 | 34.2 | -12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 216 | 18.8 | 15.4 | -45% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 88 | 7.7 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 63 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 61 | 5.3 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Public order | 51 | 4.4 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 46 | 4.0 | 5.0 | -48% |
| Burglary | 36 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -12% |
| Other crime | 22 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Possession of weapons | 15 | 1.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 1.1 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.9 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Great Harwood; the highest is Accrington (149.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Clitheroe (59.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Great Harwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton-le-Moors | 1,139 | 113.7 | +23% |
| Rishton | 638 | 91.0 | -2% |
| Accrington | 5,483 | 149.9 | +62% |
| Oswaldtwistle | 1,109 | 121.6 | +31% |
| Padiham | 1,527 | 137.7 | +49% |
| Blackburn (Blackburn with Darwen) | 14,354 | 113.1 | +22% |
| Clitheroe | 1,112 | 59.2 | -36% |
| Burnley | 12,274 | 146.3 | +58% |
Of the 2 areas within Great Harwood, Netherton had the highest crime rate (108.7 per 1,000) and Overton the lowest (79.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherton | Neighbourhood | 5,096 | 554 | 108.7 |
| Overton | Neighbourhood | 6,372 | 508 | 79.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Great Harwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (77).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 77 |
| On or near Town Hall Street | 45 |
| On or near Station Road | 44 |
| On or near Prospect Street | 40 |
| On or near Reed Passage | 35 |
| On or near Parking Area | 32 |
| On or near St John'S Street | 25 |
| On or near Segar Street | 21 |
| On or near Britannia Street | 20 |
| On or near Greenhill | 20 |
Of the 846 crimes in Great Harwood with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 216 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 362 | 42.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 244 | 28.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 85 | 10.0% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 47 | 5.6% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 39 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 33 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 18 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 10 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Great Harwood has an estimated population of 11,468 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (10%, against 17%) and more residents with no qualifications (22%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Great Harwood average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Great Harwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 28.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Great Harwood a safe place to live?
Great Harwood recorded 92.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 434th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Great Harwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 434 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (216).
Is crime in Great Harwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Great Harwood was down 22% on the year before: 1,062 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,355 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Great Harwood?
About 11,468 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Great Harwood?
Great Harwood 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.