Crime in Skelmersdale: statistics, rates and trends
3,405 crimes were recorded in Skelmersdale in the 12 months to August 2026, 96.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Skelmersdale at a glance
- Crime trends in Skelmersdale
- Types of crime in Skelmersdale
- Skelmersdale compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Skelmersdale
- Streets with the most crime in Skelmersdale
- What happened after crimes were reported in Skelmersdale
- Demographics of Skelmersdale
- Questions about crime in Skelmersdale
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,378), anti-social behaviour (605) and criminal damage and arson (318) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 398th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Skelmersdale | West Lancashire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,405 | 7,540 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 96.4 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | -13% | -1% |
| Population | 35,304 | 121,995 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Skelmersdale of any year here (3,405 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,405 | 96.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,781 | 107.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,770 | 106.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,533 | 100.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,853 | 109.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,856 | 109.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,840 | 108.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,767 | 106.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,915 | 110.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 287 |
| July 2026 | 345 |
| June 2026 | 279 |
| May 2026 | 275 |
| April 2026 | 281 |
| March 2026 | 294 |
| February 2026 | 202 |
| January 2026 | 246 |
| December 2025 | 279 |
| November 2025 | 303 |
| October 2025 | 293 |
| September 2025 | 321 |
Compared with England and Wales, Skelmersdale recorded notably more possession of weapons (90% above the national rate), other crime (58% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (34% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (66% below) and burglary (24% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 24 to 44 and other crime rose from 100 to 118, while anti-social behaviour fell from 1,076 to 605 and shoplifting fell from 157 to 102.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,378 | 39.0 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 605 | 17.1 | 15.4 | -44% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 318 | 9.0 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 205 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Public order | 186 | 5.3 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Vehicle crime | 144 | 4.1 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Drugs | 126 | 3.6 | 3.3 | +15% |
| Other crime | 118 | 3.3 | 2.1 | +18% |
| Shoplifting | 102 | 2.9 | 8.5 | -35% |
| Burglary | 95 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -31% |
| Possession of weapons | 65 | 1.8 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Robbery | 44 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +83% |
| Bicycle theft | 10 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Skelmersdale; the highest is Kirkby (101.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Rainford (34.4).
Of the 4 areas within Skelmersdale, Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre had the highest crime rate (116.3 per 1,000) and Skelmersdale North the lowest (62.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre | Neighbourhood | 8,808 | 1,024 | 116.3 |
| Skelmersdale South | Neighbourhood | 8,966 | 1,032 | 115.1 |
| Old Skelmersdale | Neighbourhood | 10,430 | 919 | 88.1 |
| Skelmersdale North | Neighbourhood | 8,705 | 546 | 62.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Skelmersdale over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (172).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 172 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 146 |
| On or near Carfield | 98 |
| On or near Supermarket | 85 |
| On or near Beechtrees | 70 |
| On or near Elmridge | 65 |
| On or near Beechtrees Mews | 64 |
| On or near Banksbarn | 62 |
| On or near Egerton | 50 |
| On or near Inglewhite | 50 |
Of the 2,800 crimes in Skelmersdale with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 605 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,131 | 40.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 633 | 22.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 349 | 12.5% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 191 | 6.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 167 | 6.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 105 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Offender given a caution | 78 | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 75 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 25 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 15 | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Skelmersdale has an estimated population of 35,304 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (28%, against 17%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%) and more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Skelmersdale average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Skelmersdale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 28.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 17.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Skelmersdale a safe place to live?
Skelmersdale recorded 96.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 398th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Skelmersdale?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,378 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (605).
Is crime in Skelmersdale going up or down?
Recorded crime in Skelmersdale was down 10% on the year before: 3,405 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,781 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Skelmersdale?
About 35,304 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Skelmersdale?
Skelmersdale 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.