Crime in Penwortham: statistics, rates and trends
1,130 crimes were recorded in Penwortham in the 12 months to August 2026, 62.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Penwortham at a glance
- Crime trends in Penwortham
- Types of crime in Penwortham
- Penwortham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Penwortham
- Streets with the most crime in Penwortham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Penwortham
- Demographics of Penwortham
- Questions about crime in Penwortham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (491), anti-social behaviour (254) and criminal damage and arson (77) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 901st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Penwortham | South Ribble | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,130 | 8,894 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 62.8 | 76.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -9% | -1% |
| Population | 18,004 | 116,113 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Penwortham of any year here (1,130 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 31%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,130 | 62.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,217 | 67.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,190 | 66.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,131 | 62.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,152 | 64.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,443 | 80.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,306 | 72.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,422 | 79.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,631 | 90.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 98 |
| July 2026 | 107 |
| June 2026 | 113 |
| May 2026 | 92 |
| April 2026 | 80 |
| March 2026 | 78 |
| February 2026 | 81 |
| January 2026 | 93 |
| December 2025 | 77 |
| November 2025 | 82 |
| October 2025 | 109 |
| September 2025 | 120 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (61% below) and burglary (58% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour fell from 370 to 254 and other crime fell from 38 to 27.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 491 | 27.3 | 34.2 | +14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 254 | 14.1 | 15.4 | -31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 77 | 4.3 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Other theft | 62 | 3.4 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 59 | 3.3 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Public order | 56 | 3.1 | 6.7 | -19% |
| Vehicle crime | 47 | 2.6 | 5.0 | +2% |
| Burglary | 27 | 1.5 | 3.6 | -27% |
| Other crime | 27 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -29% |
| Drugs | 15 | 0.8 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Penwortham; the highest is Preston (Preston) (160.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Longton (31.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penwortham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston (Preston) | 15,909 | 160.6 | +156% |
| Bamber Bridge | 3,825 | 91.9 | +46% |
| Longton | 365 | 31.9 | -49% |
| Fulwood | 2,656 | 77.2 | +23% |
| Cottam (Preston) | 509 | 52.7 | -16% |
| Leyland | 3,668 | 90.0 | +43% |
| Euxton | 845 | 50.4 | -20% |
| Tarleton and Hesketh Bank | 330 | 35.1 | -44% |
Of the 3 areas within Penwortham, Middleforth had the highest crime rate (87.3 per 1,000) and Howick & Priory the lowest (30.4).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleforth | Neighbourhood | 7,940 | 693 | 87.3 |
| Broad Oak | Neighbourhood | 5,593 | 306 | 54.7 |
| Howick & Priory | Neighbourhood | 5,754 | 175 | 30.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Penwortham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Blackberry Way” (103).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Blackberry Way | 103 |
| On or near Supermarket | 59 |
| On or near Parking Area | 36 |
| On or near Higher Croft | 31 |
| On or near Woodfold | 25 |
| On or near Copper Beeches | 24 |
| On or near Sunbury Avenue | 24 |
| On or near Sycamore Drive | 22 |
| On or near Bannister'S Bit | 20 |
| On or near Malthouse Way | 20 |
Of the 876 crimes in Penwortham with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 254 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 401 | 45.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 219 | 25.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 97 | 11.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 35 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 33 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 28 | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 26 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 4 | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Penwortham has an estimated population of 18,004 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (11%, against 20%), less social housing (9.9%, against 17.1%) and fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penwortham average decile 7.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Penwortham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 78.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 9.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 11.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Penwortham a safe place to live?
Penwortham recorded 62.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 901st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Penwortham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 491 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (254).
Is crime in Penwortham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penwortham was down 7% on the year before: 1,130 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,217 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penwortham?
About 18,004 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 25% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penwortham?
Penwortham is policed by Lancashire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.