Crime in Oswestry: statistics, rates and trends
1,495 crimes were recorded in Oswestry in the 12 months to August 2026, 82.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Oswestry at a glance
- Crime trends in Oswestry
- Types of crime in Oswestry
- Oswestry compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Oswestry
- Streets with the most crime in Oswestry
- What happened after crimes were reported in Oswestry
- Demographics of Oswestry
- Questions about crime in Oswestry
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (660), anti-social behaviour (252) and shoplifting (126) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 569th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Oswestry | Shropshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,495 | 19,214 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 82.3 | 57.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -5% | -1% |
| Population | 18,166 | 332,455 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Oswestry of any year here (1,495 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 32%, 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 | 82.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,509 | 83.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,644 | 90.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,139 | 117.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,022 | 111.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,054 | 113.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,951 | 107.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,183 | 120.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,184 | 120.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 127 |
| July 2026 | 127 |
| June 2026 | 138 |
| May 2026 | 146 |
| April 2026 | 155 |
| March 2026 | 122 |
| February 2026 | 95 |
| January 2026 | 140 |
| December 2025 | 117 |
| November 2025 | 118 |
| October 2025 | 99 |
| September 2025 | 111 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and burglary (55% below) and drugs (55% below) were well below it. On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 573 to 660, while criminal damage and arson fell from 133 to 104 and shoplifting fell from 152 to 126.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 660 | 36.3 | 34.2 | +15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 252 | 13.9 | 15.4 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 126 | 6.9 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Other theft | 115 | 6.3 | 6.4 | +11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 104 | 5.7 | 6.7 | -22% |
| Public order | 99 | 5.4 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Other crime | 31 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Burglary | 29 | 1.6 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Drugs | 27 | 1.5 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Vehicle crime | 19 | 1.0 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 17 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Oswestry; the highest is Wrexham (155.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Ellesmere (57.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Oswestry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellesmere | 295 | 57.9 | -30% |
| Acrefair and Cefn-mawr | 738 | 104.3 | +27% |
| Rhosllannerchrugog | 941 | 82.6 | 0% |
| Wrexham | 7,102 | 155.8 | +89% |
| Wem | 444 | 70.2 | -15% |
| Welshpool | 791 | 115.8 | +41% |
| Brynteg (Wrexham) | 698 | 74.0 | -10% |
| Gwersyllt | 843 | 89.5 | +9% |
Of the 4 areas within Oswestry, Oswestry South had the highest crime rate (136.1 per 1,000) and Oswestry North East the lowest (44.9), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswestry South | Neighbourhood | 5,142 | 700 | 136.1 |
| Oswestry South East | Neighbourhood | 3,685 | 330 | 89.6 |
| Oswestry North | Neighbourhood | 4,506 | 248 | 55.0 |
| Oswestry North East | Neighbourhood | 4,833 | 217 | 44.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Oswestry over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Petrol Station” (104).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 104 |
| On or near Parking Area | 63 |
| On or near Nightclub | 62 |
| On or near Bailey Street | 56 |
| On or near Supermarket | 43 |
| On or near B5069 | 35 |
| On or near Chaucer Road | 32 |
| On or near Albion Hill | 30 |
| On or near Willow Street | 27 |
| On or near Orchard Street | 24 |
Of the 1,243 crimes in Oswestry with a recorded outcome, 21% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 252 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 629 | 50.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 259 | 20.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 164 | 13.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 63 | 5.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 47 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 26 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 23 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 14 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 2 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Oswestry has an estimated population of 18,166 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%), an older population (23%, against 19%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (27%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Oswestry average decile 5.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Oswestry | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Oswestry a safe place to live?
Oswestry recorded 82.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 569th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Oswestry?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 660 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (252).
Is crime in Oswestry going up or down?
Recorded crime in Oswestry was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,495 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,509 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Oswestry?
About 18,166 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Oswestry?
Oswestry is policed by West Mercia.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.