Crime in Scunthorpe: statistics, rates and trends
11,555 crimes were recorded in Scunthorpe in the 12 months to August 2026, 141.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Scunthorpe at a glance
- Crime trends in Scunthorpe
- Types of crime in Scunthorpe
- Scunthorpe compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Scunthorpe
- Streets with the most crime in Scunthorpe
- What happened after crimes were reported in Scunthorpe
- Demographics of Scunthorpe
- Questions about crime in Scunthorpe
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,384), shoplifting (1,480) and anti-social behaviour (1,012) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 84th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Scunthorpe | North Lincolnshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 11,555 | 16,272 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 141.9 | 95.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 81,434 | 171,336 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Scunthorpe peaked in the year to August 2019 (13,054 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (10,984). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 11,555 | 141.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,984 | 134.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,211 | 149.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,129 | 136.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,571 | 142.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 11,100 | 136.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 12,195 | 149.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 13,054 | 160.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 11,493 | 141.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 967 |
| July 2026 | 1,093 |
| June 2026 | 1,106 |
| May 2026 | 1,034 |
| April 2026 | 992 |
| March 2026 | 973 |
| February 2026 | 821 |
| January 2026 | 949 |
| December 2025 | 908 |
| November 2025 | 876 |
| October 2025 | 911 |
| September 2025 | 925 |
Compared with England and Wales, Scunthorpe recorded notably more shoplifting (2.1 times the national rate), other crime (2.1 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (80% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 94 to 184 and shoplifting rose from 1,121 to 1,480, while theft from the person fell from 35 to 27.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,384 | 53.8 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 1,480 | 18.2 | 8.5 | +32% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,012 | 12.4 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Public order | 971 | 11.9 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 905 | 11.1 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Other theft | 684 | 8.4 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Burglary | 508 | 6.2 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Drugs | 422 | 5.2 | 3.3 | +31% |
| Vehicle crime | 367 | 4.5 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Other crime | 366 | 4.5 | 2.1 | +11% |
| Robbery | 184 | 2.3 | 1.4 | +96% |
| Bicycle theft | 136 | 1.7 | 0.8 | +27% |
| Possession of weapons | 109 | 1.3 | 1.0 | -4% |
| Theft from the person | 27 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -23% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Scunthorpe; the highest is Gainsborough (175.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Swanland (27.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Scunthorpe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterton | 350 | 69.7 | -51% |
| Brigg | 617 | 116.4 | -18% |
| Brough (East Riding of Yorkshire) | 429 | 30.2 | -79% |
| Barton-upon-Humber | 726 | 60.2 | -58% |
| Goole | 2,291 | 109.4 | -23% |
| Thorne | 1,322 | 96.5 | -32% |
| Gainsborough | 4,010 | 175.4 | +24% |
| Swanland | 152 | 27.8 | -80% |
Of the 9 areas within Scunthorpe, Town had the highest crime rate (292.8 per 1,000) and Bottesford the lowest (46.4), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Neighbourhood | 9,112 | 2,668 | 292.8 |
| Burringham & Gunness | Neighbourhood | 3,686 | 614 | 166.6 |
| Frodingham | Neighbourhood | 8,358 | 1,364 | 163.2 |
| Ashby Central | Neighbourhood | 9,326 | 1,300 | 139.4 |
| Brumby | Neighbourhood | 11,975 | 1,635 | 136.5 |
| Crosby & Park | Neighbourhood | 14,533 | 1,820 | 125.2 |
| Kingsway with Lincoln Gardens | Neighbourhood | 7,803 | 885 | 113.4 |
| Ashby Lakeside | Neighbourhood | 7,592 | 820 | 108.0 |
| Bottesford | Neighbourhood | 10,556 | 490 | 46.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Scunthorpe over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (558).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 558 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 553 |
| On or near Supermarket | 390 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 348 |
| On or near Glanford Way | 207 |
| On or near Taylor Court | 180 |
| On or near Nightclub | 178 |
| On or near A18 | 162 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 149 |
| On or near Manley Street | 120 |
Of the 10,543 crimes in Scunthorpe with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,012 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,005 | 38.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,904 | 27.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,015 | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 810 | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 479 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 450 | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 436 | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 131 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 91 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 91 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 70 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 40 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Scunthorpe has an estimated population of 81,434 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (20%, against 34%), more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Scunthorpe average decile 4.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Scunthorpe | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 25.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 25.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Scunthorpe a safe place to live?
Scunthorpe recorded 141.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 84th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Scunthorpe?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,384 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (1,480).
Is crime in Scunthorpe going up or down?
Recorded crime in Scunthorpe was up 5% on the year before: 11,555 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,984 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Scunthorpe?
About 81,434 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Scunthorpe?
Scunthorpe is policed by Humberside.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.