Crime in Murton (County Durham): statistics, rates and trends
1,495 crimes were recorded in Murton (County Durham) in the 12 months to August 2026, 188.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Murton (County Durham) at a glance
- Crime trends in Murton (County Durham)
- Types of crime in Murton (County Durham)
- Murton (County Durham) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Murton (County Durham)
- Streets with the most crime in Murton (County Durham)
- What happened after crimes were reported in Murton (County Durham)
- Demographics of Murton (County Durham)
- Questions about crime in Murton (County Durham)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (456), shoplifting (301) and anti-social behaviour (198) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 17th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Murton (County Durham) | County Durham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,495 | 64,837 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 188.0 | 120.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 7,952 | 538,011 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Murton (County Durham) of any year here (1,495 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 26%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,495 | 188.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,478 | 185.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,271 | 159.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,263 | 158.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,187 | 149.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,121 | 141.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,195 | 150.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,395 | 175.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,186 | 149.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 133 |
| July 2026 | 142 |
| June 2026 | 114 |
| May 2026 | 160 |
| April 2026 | 128 |
| March 2026 | 119 |
| February 2026 | 132 |
| January 2026 | 100 |
| December 2025 | 119 |
| November 2025 | 113 |
| October 2025 | 112 |
| September 2025 | 123 |
Compared with England and Wales, Murton (County Durham) recorded notably more shoplifting (4.5 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (3.3 times the national rate) and burglary (2.5 times the national rate). On the year before, burglary rose from 50 to 70 and other crime rose from 26 to 33, while shoplifting fell from 391 to 301 and other theft fell from 73 to 59.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 456 | 57.3 | 34.2 | +20% |
| Shoplifting | 301 | 37.9 | 8.5 | -23% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 198 | 24.9 | 15.4 | +3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 176 | 22.1 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 78 | 9.8 | 5.0 | +16% |
| Public order | 74 | 9.3 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Burglary | 70 | 8.8 | 3.6 | +40% |
| Other theft | 59 | 7.4 | 6.4 | -19% |
| Other crime | 33 | 4.1 | 2.1 | +27% |
| Drugs | 26 | 3.3 | 3.3 | +24% |
| Possession of weapons | 9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Murton (County Durham) has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Murton (County Durham) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaham | 2,840 | 125.5 | -33% |
| Hetton-le-Hole | 822 | 84.1 | -55% |
| Easington (County Durham) | 1,212 | 182.4 | -3% |
| Houghton-le-Spring | 1,135 | 97.8 | -48% |
| Shotton Colliery | 691 | 135.9 | -28% |
| Peterlee | 3,111 | 149.9 | -20% |
| Fence Houses | 366 | 60.2 | -68% |
| Horden | 1,377 | 182.5 | -3% |
Murton is the one area listed within Murton (County Durham), with 161.9 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murton | Neighbourhood | 10,876 | 1,761 | 161.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 50% of the crime recorded in Murton (County Durham) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (185).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 185 |
| On or near Fife Street | 184 |
| On or near Watkin Crescent | 55 |
| On or near Parking Area | 52 |
| On or near Lansbury Drive | 51 |
| On or near James Street South | 46 |
| On or near Sea View Walk | 46 |
| On or near Wood'S Terrace | 46 |
| On or near Wetherburn Avenue | 42 |
| On or near George Street | 40 |
Of the 1,297 crimes in Murton (County Durham) with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 198 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 472 | 36.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 447 | 34.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 111 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 77 | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 66 | 5.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 45 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 27 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
Murton (County Durham) has an estimated population of 7,952 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (25%, against 17%), fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Murton (County Durham) average decile 2.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Murton (County Durham) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 37.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Murton (County Durham) a safe place to live?
Murton (County Durham) recorded 188.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 17th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Murton (County Durham)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 456 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (301).
Is crime in Murton (County Durham) going up or down?
Recorded crime in Murton (County Durham) was up 1% on the year before: 1,495 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,478 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Murton (County Durham)?
About 7,952 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Murton (County Durham)?
Murton (County Durham) is policed by Durham.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.