Crime in Shildon: statistics, rates and trends
1,823 crimes were recorded in Shildon in the 12 months to August 2026, 169.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (621), anti-social behaviour (349) and criminal damage and arson (269) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 30th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Shildon | County Durham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,823 | 64,837 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 169.9 | 120.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 10,729 | 538,011 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Shildon peaked in the year to August 2021 (2,040 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,730). 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 | 1,823 | 169.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,836 | 171.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,804 | 168.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,926 | 179.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,025 | 188.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,040 | 190.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,998 | 186.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,730 | 161.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,833 | 170.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 132 |
| July 2026 | 193 |
| June 2026 | 146 |
| May 2026 | 187 |
| April 2026 | 141 |
| March 2026 | 144 |
| February 2026 | 119 |
| January 2026 | 135 |
| December 2025 | 143 |
| November 2025 | 147 |
| October 2025 | 162 |
| September 2025 | 174 |
Compared with England and Wales, Shildon recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (3.7 times the national rate), burglary (2.8 times the national rate) and other crime (2.4 times the national rate). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 53 to 112 and other theft rose from 67 to 109, while burglary fell from 135 to 106.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 621 | 57.9 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 349 | 32.5 | 15.4 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 269 | 25.1 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 112 | 10.4 | 8.5 | +111% |
| Other theft | 109 | 10.2 | 6.4 | +63% |
| Burglary | 106 | 9.9 | 3.6 | -21% |
| Public order | 99 | 9.2 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 56 | 5.2 | 5.0 | +22% |
| Other crime | 54 | 5.0 | 2.1 | -13% |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 12 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Shildon; the highest is Bishop Auckland (203.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Sedgefield (65.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Shildon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Auckland | 4,394 | 203.7 | +20% |
| Newton Aycliffe | 3,537 | 133.6 | -21% |
| Spennymoor | 2,879 | 160.5 | -6% |
| Ferryhill | 1,489 | 177.0 | +4% |
| Willington (County Durham) | 967 | 151.1 | -11% |
| Crook | 1,197 | 134.3 | -21% |
| Darlington | 12,444 | 131.9 | -22% |
| Sedgefield | 415 | 65.0 | -62% |
Shildon & Dene Valley is the one area listed within Shildon, with 160.1 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shildon & Dene Valley | Neighbourhood | 18,484 | 2,959 | 160.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Shildon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (173).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 173 |
| On or near Dent Street | 44 |
| On or near Royal George Close | 39 |
| On or near Pine Tree Crescent | 37 |
| On or near All Saints' Road | 34 |
| On or near Magnolia Way | 34 |
| On or near Firtree | 32 |
| On or near Larch Avenue | 31 |
| On or near Walter Street | 31 |
| On or near Eldon Bank | 27 |
Of the 1,474 crimes in Shildon with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 349 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 631 | 42.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 534 | 36.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 114 | 7.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 72 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 37 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 25 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 22 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Shildon has an estimated population of 10,729 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (19%, against 34%) and more households without a car (33%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Shildon average decile 1.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Shildon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 48.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 18.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 33.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 63.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Shildon a safe place to live?
Shildon recorded 169.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 30th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and burglary.
What is the most common crime in Shildon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 621 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (349).
Is crime in Shildon going up or down?
Recorded crime in Shildon was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,823 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,836 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Shildon?
About 10,729 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Shildon?
Shildon 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.