Crime in Middlesbrough: statistics, rates and trends
30,333 crimes were recorded in Middlesbrough in the 12 months to August 2026, 187.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Middlesbrough at a glance
- Crime trends in Middlesbrough
- Types of crime in Middlesbrough
- Middlesbrough compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Middlesbrough
- Streets with the most crime in Middlesbrough
- What happened after crimes were reported in Middlesbrough
- Demographics of Middlesbrough
- Questions about crime in Middlesbrough
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (9,803), anti-social behaviour (4,795) and criminal damage and arson (3,268) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 18th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 30,333 | 29,172 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 187.0 | 186.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 162,207 | 156,161 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Middlesbrough peaked in the year to August 2022 (35,080 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (29,140). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 30,333 | 187.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 29,140 | 179.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 31,058 | 191.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 33,087 | 204.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 35,080 | 216.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 32,289 | 199.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 32,649 | 201.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 34,802 | 214.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 34,202 | 210.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,685 |
| July 2026 | 2,806 |
| June 2026 | 2,642 |
| May 2026 | 2,602 |
| April 2026 | 2,489 |
| March 2026 | 2,713 |
| February 2026 | 2,332 |
| January 2026 | 2,322 |
| December 2025 | 2,250 |
| November 2025 | 2,322 |
| October 2025 | 2,696 |
| September 2025 | 2,474 |
Compared with England and Wales, Middlesbrough recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (3.0 times the national rate), robbery (3.0 times the national rate) and other crime (2.6 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (53% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 2,174 to 3,185 and robbery rose from 462 to 654, while bicycle theft fell from 187 to 150 and anti-social behaviour fell from 5,652 to 4,795.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 9,803 | 60.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,795 | 29.6 | 15.4 | -15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,268 | 20.1 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 3,185 | 19.6 | 8.5 | +47% |
| Public order | 2,341 | 14.4 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,332 | 8.2 | 5.0 | +2% |
| Other theft | 1,282 | 7.9 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Drugs | 1,129 | 7.0 | 3.3 | 0% |
| Burglary | 1,074 | 6.6 | 3.6 | -14% |
| Other crime | 895 | 5.5 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Robbery | 654 | 4.0 | 1.4 | +42% |
| Possession of weapons | 297 | 1.8 | 1.0 | +24% |
| Bicycle theft | 150 | 0.9 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 128 | 0.8 | 1.7 | +2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Middlesbrough; the highest is Eston (211.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Ingleby Barwick (48.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eston | 6,478 | 211.0 | +13% |
| Thornaby-on-Tees | 4,389 | 193.7 | +4% |
| Ingleby Barwick | 1,213 | 48.5 | -74% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 15,247 | 169.8 | -9% |
| Billingham | 3,833 | 111.2 | -41% |
| Egglescliffe | 627 | 57.1 | -69% |
| Yarm | 552 | 63.6 | -66% |
| Guisborough | 1,988 | 104.4 | -44% |
Of the 21 areas within Middlesbrough, Central had the highest crime rate (503.0 per 1,000) and Marton West the lowest (41.4), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 13,726 | 6,904 | 503.0 |
| Longlands & Beechwood | Neighbourhood | 12,544 | 3,566 | 284.3 |
| North Ormesby | Neighbourhood | 4,330 | 1,059 | 244.6 |
| Berwick Hills & Pallister | Neighbourhood | 9,508 | 2,057 | 216.3 |
| Newport | Neighbourhood | 11,826 | 2,451 | 207.3 |
| Park End & Beckfield | Neighbourhood | 8,011 | 1,641 | 204.8 |
| Linthorpe | Neighbourhood | 5,721 | 1,136 | 198.6 |
| Brambles & Thorntree | Neighbourhood | 10,123 | 1,957 | 193.3 |
| Hemlington | Neighbourhood | 5,613 | 1,054 | 187.8 |
| Coulby Newham | Neighbourhood | 8,321 | 1,246 | 149.7 |
| Ladgate | Neighbourhood | 5,338 | 779 | 145.9 |
| Ormesby | Neighbourhood | 6,418 | 882 | 137.4 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 11,068 | 1,455 | 131.5 |
| Ayresome | Neighbourhood | 7,310 | 806 | 110.3 |
| Acklam | Neighbourhood | 6,479 | 676 | 104.3 |
| Stainton & Thornton | Neighbourhood | 5,718 | 588 | 102.8 |
| Trimdon | Neighbourhood | 6,285 | 459 | 73.0 |
| Kader | Neighbourhood | 5,859 | 419 | 71.5 |
| Marton East | Neighbourhood | 7,182 | 446 | 62.1 |
| Nunthorpe | Neighbourhood | 5,639 | 243 | 43.1 |
| Marton West | Neighbourhood | 5,560 | 230 | 41.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Middlesbrough over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,187).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,187 |
| On or near Hospital | 836 |
| On or near Police Station | 830 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 576 |
| On or near Supermarket | 563 |
| On or near Balfour Terrace | 464 |
| On or near Hill Street Shopping Centre | 397 |
| On or near Albert Road | 389 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 377 |
| On or near Beverley Road | 370 |
Of the 25,538 crimes in Middlesbrough with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,795 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,736 | 38.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 9,720 | 38.1% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,064 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 1,415 | 5.5% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,085 | 4.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 470 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 430 | 1.7% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 211 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 202 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 88 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 61 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 56 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Middlesbrough has an estimated population of 162,207 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (33%, against 23%), more social housing (23%, against 17%) and more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Middlesbrough average decile 3.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 49.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Middlesbrough a safe place to live?
Middlesbrough recorded 187.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 18th 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 and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Middlesbrough?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 9,803 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,795).
Is crime in Middlesbrough going up or down?
Recorded crime in Middlesbrough was up 4% on the year before: 30,333 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 29,140 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Middlesbrough?
About 162,207 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough is policed by Cleveland.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.