Crime in Willington (County Durham): statistics, rates and trends
967 crimes were recorded in Willington (County Durham) in the 12 months to August 2026, 151.1 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 17% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Willington (County Durham) at a glance
- Crime trends in Willington (County Durham)
- Types of crime in Willington (County Durham)
- Willington (County Durham) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Willington (County Durham)
- Streets with the most crime in Willington (County Durham)
- What happened after crimes were reported in Willington (County Durham)
- Demographics of Willington (County Durham)
- Questions about crime in Willington (County Durham)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (351), anti-social behaviour (199) and criminal damage and arson (124) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 63rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Willington (County Durham) | County Durham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 967 | 64,837 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 151.1 | 120.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +17% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 6,398 | 538,011 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Willington (County Durham) peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,186 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (823). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 2%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 967 | 151.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 823 | 128.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 986 | 154.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 916 | 143.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,101 | 172.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,186 | 185.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,069 | 167.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,001 | 156.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 944 | 147.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 97 |
| July 2026 | 65 |
| June 2026 | 87 |
| May 2026 | 104 |
| April 2026 | 104 |
| March 2026 | 82 |
| February 2026 | 72 |
| January 2026 | 74 |
| December 2025 | 83 |
| November 2025 | 74 |
| October 2025 | 49 |
| September 2025 | 76 |
Compared with England and Wales, Willington (County Durham) recorded notably more other crime (3.3 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (2.9 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (34% below) and other theft (22% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 30 to 85 and other crime rose from 26 to 44.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 351 | 54.9 | 34.2 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 199 | 31.1 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 124 | 19.4 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Shoplifting | 85 | 13.3 | 8.5 | +183% |
| Public order | 57 | 8.9 | 6.7 | +27% |
| Other crime | 44 | 6.9 | 2.1 | +69% |
| Other theft | 32 | 5.0 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Burglary | 27 | 4.2 | 3.6 | +35% |
| Vehicle crime | 21 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 0% |
| Drugs | 15 | 2.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Willington (County Durham); the highest is Bishop Auckland (203.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Esh Winning (99.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Willington (County Durham) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crook | 1,197 | 134.3 | -11% |
| Spennymoor | 2,879 | 160.5 | +6% |
| Brandon (County Durham) | 1,047 | 113.8 | -25% |
| Bishop Auckland | 4,394 | 203.7 | +35% |
| Esh Winning | 527 | 99.4 | -34% |
| Ushaw Moor and Bearpark | 755 | 117.1 | -22% |
| Shildon | 1,823 | 169.9 | +12% |
| Ferryhill | 1,489 | 177.0 | +17% |
Willington & Hunwick is the one area listed within Willington (County Durham), with 132.5 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willington & Hunwick | Neighbourhood | 9,345 | 1,238 | 132.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Willington (County Durham) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Commercial Street” (115).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Commercial Street | 115 |
| On or near St Thomas' Close | 76 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 54 |
| On or near Chester Drive | 52 |
| On or near Dovedale Avenue | 47 |
| On or near South Street | 42 |
| On or near Canterbury Crescent | 39 |
| On or near Ash Drive | 34 |
| On or near Lewthwaite Gardens | 30 |
| On or near Brockwell Court | 29 |
Of the 768 crimes in Willington (County Durham) with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 199 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 328 | 42.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 207 | 27.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 90 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 40 | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 18 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 16 | 2.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 15 | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 14 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 14 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 7 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Willington (County Durham) has an estimated population of 6,398 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (26%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (26%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Willington (County Durham) average decile 2.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Willington (County Durham) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 47.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 26.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 46.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Willington (County Durham) a safe place to live?
Willington (County Durham) recorded 151.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 63rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Willington (County Durham)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 351 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (199).
Is crime in Willington (County Durham) going up or down?
Recorded crime in Willington (County Durham) was up 17% on the year before: 967 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 823 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Willington (County Durham)?
About 6,398 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Willington (County Durham)?
Willington (County Durham) 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.