Crime in Widnes: statistics, rates and trends
5,487 crimes were recorded in Widnes in the 12 months to August 2026, 89.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,496), anti-social behaviour (632) and public order (598) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 475th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Widnes | Halton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,487 | 12,012 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 89.5 | 91.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 61,294 | 131,543 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Widnes peaked in the year to August 2020 (8,338 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (5,462). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 31%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,487 | 89.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,462 | 89.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,499 | 106.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,588 | 107.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,634 | 108.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 7,201 | 117.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,338 | 136.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 8,128 | 132.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,976 | 130.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 438 |
| July 2026 | 536 |
| June 2026 | 518 |
| May 2026 | 490 |
| April 2026 | 501 |
| March 2026 | 454 |
| February 2026 | 425 |
| January 2026 | 417 |
| December 2025 | 409 |
| November 2025 | 396 |
| October 2025 | 452 |
| September 2025 | 451 |
Compared with England and Wales, Widnes recorded notably more public order (46% above the national rate), possession of weapons (31% above the national rate) and drugs (28% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (53% below) and robbery (52% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 52 to 78 and vehicle crime rose from 119 to 164, while burglary fell from 176 to 125 and robbery fell from 56 to 40.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,496 | 40.7 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 632 | 10.3 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Public order | 598 | 9.8 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 370 | 6.0 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Other theft | 274 | 4.5 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Drugs | 257 | 4.2 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 244 | 4.0 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Vehicle crime | 164 | 2.7 | 5.0 | +38% |
| Other crime | 155 | 2.5 | 2.1 | +2% |
| Burglary | 125 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -29% |
| Possession of weapons | 78 | 1.3 | 1.0 | +50% |
| Bicycle theft | 45 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +15% |
| Robbery | 40 | 0.7 | 1.4 | -29% |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Widnes; the highest is St Helens (St. Helens) (119.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Frodsham (54.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Widnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runcorn | 5,298 | 88.5 | -1% |
| Prescot | 4,093 | 100.0 | +12% |
| St Helens (St. Helens) | 12,250 | 119.7 | +34% |
| Huyton with Roby | 5,057 | 82.3 | -8% |
| Frodsham | 503 | 54.6 | -39% |
| Warrington | 13,695 | 80.9 | -10% |
| Newton-le-Willows | 2,096 | 79.4 | -11% |
| Haydock | 1,080 | 74.3 | -17% |
Of the 9 areas within Widnes, Appleton had the highest crime rate (179.3 per 1,000) and Farnworth the lowest (40.3), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | Neighbourhood | 7,658 | 1,373 | 179.3 |
| Central & West Bank | Neighbourhood | 7,776 | 1,290 | 165.9 |
| Ditton, Hale Village & Halebank | Neighbourhood | 8,822 | 789 | 89.4 |
| Highfield | Neighbourhood | 4,588 | 390 | 85.0 |
| Hough Green | Neighbourhood | 6,541 | 548 | 83.8 |
| Bankfield | Neighbourhood | 6,496 | 409 | 63.0 |
| Halton View | Neighbourhood | 6,848 | 386 | 56.4 |
| Birchfield | Neighbourhood | 10,077 | 413 | 41.0 |
| Farnworth | Neighbourhood | 6,522 | 263 | 40.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Widnes over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (212).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 212 |
| On or near Supermarket | 156 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 147 |
| On or near Albert Road | 106 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 105 |
| On or near Farrant Street | 100 |
| On or near Saxon Terrace | 66 |
| On or near Fairfield Road | 58 |
| On or near Columbine Close | 45 |
| On or near Carter House Way | 44 |
Of the 4,855 crimes in Widnes with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 632 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,862 | 38.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,216 | 25.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 561 | 11.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 403 | 8.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 329 | 6.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 224 | 4.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 101 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 76 | 1.6% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 30 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 18 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Widnes has an estimated population of 61,294 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (15%, against 20%), fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (25%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Widnes average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Widnes | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 21.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Widnes a safe place to live?
Widnes recorded 89.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 475th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Widnes?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,496 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (632).
Is crime in Widnes going up or down?
Recorded crime in Widnes was almost unchanged on the year before: 5,487 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,462 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Widnes?
About 61,294 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Widnes?
Widnes is policed by Cheshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.