Crime in Melksham: statistics, rates and trends
1,375 crimes were recorded in Melksham in the 12 months to August 2026, 74.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Melksham at a glance
- Crime trends in Melksham
- Types of crime in Melksham
- Melksham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Melksham
- Streets with the most crime in Melksham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Melksham
- Demographics of Melksham
- Questions about crime in Melksham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (517), anti-social behaviour (339) and criminal damage and arson (114) made up 71% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 707th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Melksham | Wiltshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,375 | 31,724 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 74.1 | 60.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 18,559 | 523,700 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Melksham peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,536 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,262). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,375 | 74.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,262 | 68.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,374 | 74.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,406 | 75.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,338 | 72.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,536 | 82.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,447 | 78.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,503 | 81.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,444 | 77.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 146 |
| July 2026 | 146 |
| June 2026 | 134 |
| May 2026 | 110 |
| April 2026 | 116 |
| March 2026 | 151 |
| February 2026 | 95 |
| January 2026 | 80 |
| December 2025 | 90 |
| November 2025 | 97 |
| October 2025 | 95 |
| September 2025 | 115 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and vehicle crime (61% below) and drugs (59% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 258 to 339 and shoplifting rose from 91 to 111, while vehicle crime fell from 47 to 36 and drugs fell from 30 to 25.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 517 | 27.9 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 339 | 18.3 | 15.4 | +31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 114 | 6.1 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Shoplifting | 111 | 6.0 | 8.5 | +22% |
| Public order | 88 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Other theft | 56 | 3.0 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 36 | 1.9 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Burglary | 35 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Other crime | 29 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Drugs | 25 | 1.3 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Melksham; the highest is Bath (118.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Corsham (44.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Melksham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsham | 387 | 44.5 | -40% |
| Trowbridge | 4,063 | 95.1 | +28% |
| Bradford-on-Avon | 459 | 48.6 | -34% |
| Chippenham (Wiltshire) | 1,727 | 49.4 | -33% |
| Devizes | 1,739 | 95.2 | +29% |
| Calne | 1,148 | 54.2 | -27% |
| Westbury (Wiltshire) | 1,017 | 56.5 | -24% |
| Bath | 11,682 | 118.0 | +59% |
Of the 4 areas within Melksham, Melksham Forest had the highest crime rate (96.1 per 1,000) and Melksham East the lowest (44.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melksham Forest | Neighbourhood | 6,110 | 587 | 96.1 |
| Melksham South | Neighbourhood | 4,016 | 377 | 93.9 |
| Melksham Without North & Shurnhold | Neighbourhood | 3,969 | 183 | 46.1 |
| Melksham East | Neighbourhood | 6,080 | 268 | 44.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Melksham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (140).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 140 |
| On or near Parking Area | 132 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 40 |
| On or near High Street | 39 |
| On or near Bank Street | 38 |
| On or near Beanacre Road | 37 |
| On or near Pembroke Road | 34 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 34 |
| On or near Weavers Crofts | 32 |
| On or near Foundry Close | 27 |
Of the 1,036 crimes in Melksham with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 339 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 300 | 29.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 298 | 28.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 224 | 21.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 63 | 6.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 46 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 45 | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 16 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 8 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Melksham has an estimated population of 18,559 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.1%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Melksham average decile 6.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Melksham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 13.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Melksham a safe place to live?
Melksham recorded 74.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 707th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Melksham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 517 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (339).
Is crime in Melksham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Melksham was up 9% on the year before: 1,375 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,262 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Melksham?
About 18,559 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Melksham?
Melksham is policed by Wiltshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.