Crime in Skegness: statistics, rates and trends
4,569 crimes were recorded in Skegness in the 12 months to August 2026, 212.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Skegness at a glance
- Crime trends in Skegness
- Types of crime in Skegness
- Skegness compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Skegness
- Streets with the most crime in Skegness
- What happened after crimes were reported in Skegness
- Demographics of Skegness
- Questions about crime in Skegness
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,605), anti-social behaviour (868) and shoplifting (640) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 7th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Skegness | East Lindsey | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,569 | 14,298 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 212.2 | 98.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +6% | -1% |
| Population | 21,536 | 145,183 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Skegness of any year here (4,569 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,569 | 212.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,428 | 205.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,458 | 207.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,352 | 202.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,401 | 204.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,005 | 186.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,024 | 186.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,395 | 204.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,861 | 179.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 479 |
| July 2026 | 537 |
| June 2026 | 452 |
| May 2026 | 426 |
| April 2026 | 336 |
| March 2026 | 398 |
| February 2026 | 337 |
| January 2026 | 290 |
| December 2025 | 317 |
| November 2025 | 317 |
| October 2025 | 317 |
| September 2025 | 363 |
Compared with England and Wales, Skegness recorded notably more shoplifting (3.5 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (2.6 times the national rate) and public order (2.5 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (39% below) and vehicle crime (22% below). On the year before, public order rose from 196 to 352 and robbery rose from 40 to 63, while vehicle crime fell from 133 to 83 and other crime fell from 107 to 80.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,605 | 74.5 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 868 | 40.3 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 640 | 29.7 | 8.5 | -6% |
| Public order | 352 | 16.3 | 6.7 | +80% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 334 | 15.5 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Other theft | 262 | 12.2 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Burglary | 108 | 5.0 | 3.6 | -20% |
| Drugs | 100 | 4.6 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 83 | 3.9 | 5.0 | -38% |
| Other crime | 80 | 3.7 | 2.1 | -25% |
| Robbery | 63 | 2.9 | 1.4 | +57% |
| Possession of weapons | 40 | 1.9 | 1.0 | +8% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 1.0 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 12 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Skegness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mablethorpe | 865 | 134.2 | -37% |
| Horncastle | 500 | 85.1 | -60% |
| Boston | 6,044 | 136.7 | -36% |
| Louth | 2,005 | 110.5 | -48% |
| Coningsby and Tattershall | 604 | 77.8 | -63% |
| Kirton (Boston) | 464 | 79.5 | -63% |
| Long Sutton (South Holland) | 486 | 81.5 | -62% |
| King's Lynn | 5,606 | 113.4 | -47% |
Of the 3 areas within Skegness, Scarbrough & Seacroft had the highest crime rate (263.6 per 1,000) and St Clement's the lowest (151.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarbrough & Seacroft | Neighbourhood | 10,065 | 2,653 | 263.6 |
| Winthorpe | Neighbourhood | 5,095 | 949 | 186.3 |
| St Clement's | Neighbourhood | 6,376 | 967 | 151.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Skegness over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (422).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 422 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 347 |
| On or near Parking Area | 299 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 174 |
| On or near Theme/Adventure Park | 141 |
| On or near Barbara Road | 129 |
| On or near Police Station | 123 |
| On or near Prince George Street | 112 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 108 |
| On or near B1451 | 93 |
Of the 3,701 crimes in Skegness with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 12% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 868 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,383 | 37.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 986 | 26.6% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 462 | 12.5% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 407 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 239 | 6.5% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 61 | 1.6% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 46 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 37 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 26 | 0.7% | 3.1% |
Skegness has an estimated population of 21,536 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (32%, against 18%), more private renting (31%, against 20%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (15%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Skegness average decile 2.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Skegness | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 43.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 30.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 15.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 32.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 51.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 50.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Skegness a safe place to live?
Skegness recorded 212.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 7th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Skegness?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,605 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (868).
Is crime in Skegness going up or down?
Recorded crime in Skegness was up 3% on the year before: 4,569 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,428 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Skegness?
About 21,536 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Skegness?
Skegness is policed by Lincolnshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.