Crime in Sherborne: statistics, rates and trends
667 crimes were recorded in Sherborne in the 12 months to August 2026, 61.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Sherborne at a glance
- Crime trends in Sherborne
- Types of crime in Sherborne
- Sherborne compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Sherborne
- Streets with the most crime in Sherborne
- What happened after crimes were reported in Sherborne
- Demographics of Sherborne
- Questions about crime in Sherborne
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (231), anti-social behaviour (222) and shoplifting (57) made up 76% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 936th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Sherborne | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 667 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 61.0 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 10,933 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Sherborne of any year here (667 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 667 | 61.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 633 | 57.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 523 | 47.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 534 | 48.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 629 | 57.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 607 | 55.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 623 | 57.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 566 | 51.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 648 | 59.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 54 |
| July 2026 | 67 |
| June 2026 | 47 |
| May 2026 | 53 |
| April 2026 | 44 |
| March 2026 | 37 |
| February 2026 | 51 |
| January 2026 | 52 |
| December 2025 | 52 |
| November 2025 | 59 |
| October 2025 | 74 |
| September 2025 | 77 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sherborne recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (32% above the national rate), and notably less public order (70% below) and other theft (56% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 162 to 222 and criminal damage and arson rose from 38 to 44, while public order fell from 34 to 22 and shoplifting fell from 74 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 231 | 21.1 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 222 | 20.3 | 15.4 | +37% |
| Shoplifting | 57 | 5.2 | 8.5 | -23% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 44 | 4.0 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 31 | 2.8 | 6.4 | -21% |
| Burglary | 25 | 2.3 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Public order | 22 | 2.0 | 6.7 | -35% |
| Vehicle crime | 14 | 1.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 9 | 0.8 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 5 | 0.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Sherborne; the highest is Glastonbury (164.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Gillingham (Dorset) (46.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sherborne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeovil | 6,211 | 119.7 | +96% |
| Wincanton | 583 | 89.0 | +46% |
| Somerton | 388 | 58.5 | -4% |
| Gillingham (Dorset) | 539 | 46.1 | -24% |
| Crewkerne | 604 | 91.7 | +50% |
| Shaftesbury | 682 | 72.6 | +19% |
| Street | 859 | 66.6 | +9% |
| Glastonbury | 1,502 | 164.3 | +169% |
Of the 2 areas within Sherborne, Sherborne West had the highest crime rate (69.4 per 1,000) and Sherborne East the lowest (49.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne West | Neighbourhood | 6,416 | 445 | 69.4 |
| Sherborne East | Neighbourhood | 4,517 | 222 | 49.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Sherborne over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shutler Street” (51).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shutler Street | 51 |
| On or near Cheap Street | 39 |
| On or near Durrant Close | 38 |
| On or near Parking Area | 26 |
| On or near Supermarket | 26 |
| On or near Knotts Paddock | 23 |
| On or near Pitmans Way | 20 |
| On or near Vernalls Road | 17 |
| On or near Highmore Road | 15 |
| On or near St Paul'S Green | 15 |
Of the 445 crimes in Sherborne with a recorded outcome, 29% 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 222 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 168 | 37.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 128 | 28.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 52 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 36 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 15 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 13 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 2.7% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 4 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Sherborne has an estimated population of 10,933 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (33%, against 19%), more retired residents (37%, against 22%) and fewer residents in work (45%, against 57%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sherborne average decile 6.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Sherborne | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 33.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 45.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 36.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sherborne a safe place to live?
Sherborne recorded 61.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 936th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Sherborne?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 231 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (222).
Is crime in Sherborne going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sherborne was up 5% on the year before: 667 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 633 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sherborne?
About 10,933 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 33% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sherborne?
Sherborne is policed by Dorset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.