Crime in Larkfield: statistics, rates and trends
2,052 crimes were recorded in Larkfield in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Larkfield at a glance
- Crime trends in Larkfield
- Types of crime in Larkfield
- Larkfield compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Larkfield
- Streets with the most crime in Larkfield
- What happened after crimes were reported in Larkfield
- Demographics of Larkfield
- Questions about crime in Larkfield
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (653), anti-social behaviour (555) and criminal damage and arson (188) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 770th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Larkfield | Tonbridge and Malling | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,052 | 9,281 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.4 | 67.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 29,146 | 136,853 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Larkfield peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,670 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,944). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 23%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,052 | 70.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,944 | 66.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,077 | 71.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,360 | 81.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,227 | 76.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,291 | 78.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,484 | 85.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,335 | 80.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,670 | 91.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 210 |
| July 2026 | 185 |
| June 2026 | 217 |
| May 2026 | 198 |
| April 2026 | 159 |
| March 2026 | 193 |
| February 2026 | 168 |
| January 2026 | 143 |
| December 2025 | 175 |
| November 2025 | 112 |
| October 2025 | 159 |
| September 2025 | 133 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (61% below) and drugs (57% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 372 to 555 and burglary rose from 57 to 66, while other crime fell from 62 to 51 and criminal damage and arson fell from 227 to 188.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 653 | 22.4 | 34.2 | -9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 555 | 19.0 | 15.4 | +49% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 188 | 6.5 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Other theft | 138 | 4.7 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 128 | 4.4 | 5.0 | +12% |
| Shoplifting | 106 | 3.6 | 8.5 | +7% |
| Public order | 75 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Burglary | 66 | 2.3 | 3.6 | +16% |
| Other crime | 51 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -18% |
| Drugs | 41 | 1.4 | 3.3 | -15% |
| Robbery | 26 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 13 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Larkfield; the highest is Chatham (126.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Bearsted (34.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Larkfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snodland | 1,211 | 98.9 | +41% |
| Kings Hill | 494 | 49.1 | -30% |
| Maidstone | 11,735 | 105.2 | +49% |
| Coxheath | 619 | 58.6 | -17% |
| Chatham | 10,149 | 126.7 | +80% |
| Bearsted | 289 | 34.5 | -51% |
| Borough Green | 269 | 43.0 | -39% |
| Rochester | 6,763 | 96.4 | +37% |
Of the 5 areas within Larkfield, Aylesford South & Ditton had the highest crime rate (82.4 per 1,000) and Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh the lowest (32.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesford South & Ditton | Neighbourhood | 9,761 | 804 | 82.4 |
| East Malling, West Malling & Offham | Neighbourhood | 9,073 | 705 | 77.7 |
| Larkfield | Neighbourhood | 8,474 | 619 | 73.0 |
| Aylesford North & North Downs | Neighbourhood | 10,357 | 713 | 68.8 |
| Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh | Neighbourhood | 6,211 | 203 | 32.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 33% of the crime recorded in Larkfield over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (172).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 172 |
| On or near London Road East | 126 |
| On or near Supermarket | 95 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 75 |
| On or near New Hythe Lane | 51 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 37 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 31 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 29 |
| On or near Tyler Close | 29 |
| On or near Cygnet Close | 26 |
Of the 1,497 crimes in Larkfield with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 555 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 640 | 42.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 529 | 35.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 103 | 6.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 67 | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 36 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 32 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 26 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Larkfield has an estimated population of 29,146 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (9.7%, against 20.3%), fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%) and fewer students (4.5%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Larkfield average decile 6.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Larkfield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 12.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 9.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Larkfield a safe place to live?
Larkfield recorded 70.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 770th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Larkfield?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 653 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (555).
Is crime in Larkfield going up or down?
Recorded crime in Larkfield was up 6% on the year before: 2,052 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,944 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Larkfield?
About 29,146 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Larkfield?
Larkfield is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.