With rates of crime across the country steadily rising in the wake of the pandemic and an ongoing cost of living crisis, it’s unsurprising we’d be starting to pay more attention to our local areas, and how criminal behaviour is starting to creep into every corner.
That’s particularly true for the North West of England, which has seen its fair share of issues over recent years. In fact, outside of the crime rates in London, England’s northwestern reaches have time and again proven to be the second most dangerous region of the UK.
With our latest article, Churchill Support Services will explore the most dangerous areas in the North West, breaking down the key crime facts and figures you’ll need to be aware of, and what they might mean for any area you choose to live in.
A powerhouse of culture and commerce, the North West of England holds a special place in the hearts of many. With iconic seaside getaways being synonymous with the coastal mainstays of Blackpool and Southport, and the major metropolises of Manchester and Liverpool offering a slice of cutting-edge modernity, there’s no doubt the North West offers a taste of everything.
That unfortunately extends to the rates of crime, however. As you’ll see from the graphic above, the North West’s overall crime rate of 101.9 crimes per 1000 residents places it as the second-most dangerous area of the UK as a whole, with 766,158 criminal offences in the last year alone.
Key figures include soaring rates of violent crime (308,799 incidents) – a key problem across the region, as we’ll see shortly – theft (198,577 incidents) and public order offences (92,148 incidents).
That’s alongside rising rates of drug crime (31,949 incidents, up by 23%), shoplifting (42,372 incidents, up by 13%) and weapon possession (9,084 incidents, up by 10%), all of which are perhaps symptomatic of a country that’s grappling with a cost of living crisis.
There’s similarly rising figures across the whole of the North West, with some areas being much more adversely affected than others. Let’s break down the most dangerous areas in the region, and what they might mean for your safety and security.
Perched on the outskirts of Preston, the town of Bamber Bridge and its associated Lostock Hall have one of the worst crime rates in the North West at 111.1 crimes per 1000 residents. Soaring figures of antisocial behaviour (821 offences), violent crimes (795 offences) and criminal damage (234 offences) are just the headline stats for the area.
Infamous for its history in both sport and industry, the sprawling Wigan area has its fair share of issues with crime. At an overall rate of 111.2 crimes per 1000 residents, there’s substantial cause for concern for the region’s residents, especially given the high figures across violent crimes (15,072 incidents), theft (8,573 incidents) and public order offences (4,723 incidents).
At the furthest reaches of the North West lies one of its more dangerous towns in Barrow, with a crime rate of 113.3 crimes per 1000 residents. The key causes for concern stem from soaring numbers across violent crime (2700 offences), antisocial behaviour (896 offences) and criminal damage (668 offences).
On the coastal outcrops of the Lake District, Workington, despite its remote location, enters our rankings of the most dangerous areas of the North West, with a crime rate of 113.5 crimes per 1000 residents. The main concerns for Workington’s locals are high figures across violent crime (1158 incidents), criminal damage (314 incidents) and antisocial behaviour (286 incidents).
Closely tied with its proud history in motoring and haulage, Leyland is a surprise yet warranted inclusion in our list, with a hefty crime rate of 115.4 crimes per 1000 residents. In spite of its diminutive size, the town faces huge problems with rising rates across violent crime (855 incidents), antisocial behaviour (785 incidents) and shoplifting (163 incidents).
Famed for sporting roots that lie in both racecourses and rugby, Newton-le-Willows’ crime rate of 115.7 crimes per 1000 residents belies that long-held popularity. However, with major issues in violent crimes (1053 incidents), public order offences (278 incidents) and antisocial behaviour (252 incidents), it’s clear that there’s work to be done for the area.
While well-known as a Cumbrian seaside hotspot, those seaside sands conceal a crime rate that’s meant Whitehaven has been recognised as one of the more dangerous areas in the North West – 116.5 crimes per 1000 residents. Looking more closely, there’s soaring numbers across violent crime (1179 offences), antisocial behaviour (433 offences) and criminal damage (322 offences).
Often known as the “party capital of Cumbria”, Ulverston’s reputation for the raucous is accompanied by a reputation for criminal behaviour, with a crime rate of 123 crimes per 1000 residents. Violent crimes (616 incidents) account for 43% of all crime in the area, while rates of antisocial behaviour (210 incidents), criminal damage (169 incidents) and burglary (65 incidents) continue to grow.
One of the UK’s youngest cities, and subject to significant renovations in recent years, Preston’s crime rate still leaves a lot to be desired, sitting at 124.5 crimes per 1000 residents. There’s major concerns surrounding the numbers in both antisocial behaviour (2810 offences) and violent crime (2456 offences), while rising rates of both shoplifting (963 offences) and drug crimes (237 offences) underscore a concerning trend.
Perhaps most known for the iconic Bay area which offers sweeping vistas across the Irish Sea, Morecambe’s charm is undercut substantially by an alarming crime rate of 125.2 crimes per 1000 residents. The main issues for this seafront stalwart are rising numbers across violent crime (1387 offences), antisocial behaviour (1350 offences) and criminal damage (485 offences).
A new emergence in the historic North West, Oldham has quickly grown in both popularity and infamy, with a crime rate (126.1 crimes per 1000 residents) that reflects that expansion. Violent crime (12,540 incidents) is the most pressing problem, accounting for almost 1 in every 2 crimes in Oldham. That’s alongside equally worrying figures across theft (7571 incidents) and public order offences (3651 incidents).
One of Merseyside’s most ancient towns, Kirkby has since flourished into a modern metropolis which unfortunately brings with it an inflated crime rate of 127 crimes per 1000 residents. Digging deeper into those stats reveals the true extent of Kirkby’s issues, with high numbers across violent crime (2193 offences), criminal damage (563 offences) and drug crime (446 offences).
At the very fringes of the Lake District, Penrith’s idyllic locale is sullied significantly by a crime rate that we’d typically only see in larger cities – 128.6 crimes per 1000 residents. The most pressing concern is violent crime (735 incidents), accounting for almost 40% of all crimes in the Penrith area. That’s alongside equally worrying numbers in both antisocial behaviour (233 incidents) and public order offences (172 incidents).
The more rural counterpart to its neighbouring Blackburn, Darwen’s location belies the significancy of its crime issues, with a rate of crime that sits at a concerning 129.5 crimes per 1000 residents. Violent crime (1249 offences) and antisocial behaviour (1020 offences) are the main concerns for Darwen’s residents, alongside a rate of criminal damage (249 offences) that’s only grown in recent years.
Despite being a hugely popular town in the Lancashire area, Burnley has historically had issues with its crime rate, and the latest crime rate of 129.9 crimes per 1000 residents only reinforces that. Soaring numbers across violent crime (4137 offences), theft (3250 offences) and criminal damage (1305 offences) serve to underscore the need for effective safety and security measures in Lancashire.
Often viewed as the gateway to Scotland, Carlisle’s popularity has inadvertently earnt it a top ten place in the most dangerous areas of the North West, with a shocking crime rate of 134.4 crimes per 1000 residents. Violent crime (3752 incidents) is the most prevalent issue in the city, with rising rates of antisocial behaviour (1215 incidents) and criminal damage (1059 incidents) regularly making the headlines.
Integral in the cultural, sporting and media scenes of the wider Manchester, Salford (and its associated crime rate of 135.2 crimes per 1000 residents) is a disheartening entry on this list. However, high rates of violent crime (13,352 incidents), theft (9101 incidents) and public order offences (3987 incidents) all emphasise the concerns for safety in Salford.
A stellar seaside destination, and held near and dear in many happy holiday memories, Fleetwood’s crime rate of 138 crimes per 1000 residents tells an entirely different story. The major concern for the town’s residents is violent crime (1135 offences), which accounts for 1 in every 3 crimes, as well as climbing figures across antisocial behaviour (1069 offences) and shoplifting (263 offences).
Most famed for its Premier League-winning football campaign, Blackburn’s reputation for sporting prowess is overshadowed by its soaring crime rate, which sits at 139.2 crimes per 1000 residents. Plus, with exponentially rising figures across violent crime (5675 incidents), theft (4223 incidents) and criminal damage (1450 incidents).
Synonymous with the glittering Illuminations, Blackpool rock and chips by the coast, that fading facade hides a sobering truth – a startling crime rate of 139.2 crimes per 1000 residents. While violent crimes (6530 incidents) account for the lion’s share of crimes in the town, there’s also mounting concern around the rates of antisocial behaviour (5665 incidents), shoplifting (1451 incidents) and criminal damage (1439 incidents).
Closely associated with the nationally-renowned racecourse of the same name, Haydock also a less-desirable reputation for crime, with a rate of 148.1 crimes per 1000 residents. Looking more closely at the town’s issues with crime, we find escalating numbers in violent crime (950 incidents), public order offences (305 incidents) and antisocial behaviour (204 incidents).
A major contributor towards public transport across the UK, Crewe’s reputation for industry is superseded by its spiralling crime rate of 156.2 crimes per 1000 residents, seeing it fall into the top 5 most dangerous areas of the North West. That’s largely down to high figures across violent crime (3068 offences), antisocial behaviour (1033 offences) and shoplifting (558 offences).
A beacon of culture and commerce across the North West, and historically rivals with neighbouring Manchester, Liverpool’s crime rate offer sour note to an incredible city, sitting at 159.5 crimes per 1000 residents. As with much of the North West, Liverpool’s main issue lies in soaring rates of violent crime (25,979 incidents), theft (17,471 incidents) and public order offences (10,200 incidents).
Often referred to as the “capital of the North”, it’s little wonder why Manchester has the popularity it does. However, with that popularity comes infamy, and the city’s crime rate of 174.7 crimes per 1000 residents sees it take the second spot among the North West’s most dangerous areas. Violent crime (33,447 offences) accounts for 1 in every 3 crimes citywide, with equally concerning numbers in theft (32,447 offences) and criminal damage (7832 offences).
A surprise top spot on our rankings of the most dangerous towns and cities in the North West, Accrington’s overall crime rate of 180.1 crimes per 1000 residents means it’s a more than warranted inclusion. High rates across violent crime (2017 offences), antisocial behaviour (1754 offences) and criminal damage (479 offences) all underscore the concerns that Accrington locals have.
While our rankings of the most dangerous areas in the North West may make for grim reading, there is a glimmer of hope among those startling figures. Crime in the North West as a whole has actually fallen by 4% compared to the figures we saw in 2022 (766,158 total offences, down from 802,055 offences).
Digging deeper, we saw some of the most noticeable reductions across homicide (down by 17%, from 88 to 73), burglary (down by 16%, from 42,916 incidents to 36,105), and public order offences (down by 14%, from 107,555 incidents to 92,148).
However, those are offset by increases across several in multiple different offence types. Weapon possession (up to 9084 offences, from 8286) and shoplifting (up to 42,372 offences, from 37,655) saw increases of more than 10%, with theft from the person rising by 7% (10,678 offences, up from 9986).
The worst increase was in drug offences, however, which went from 26,023 offences in 2022 to a staggering 31,949 offences for 2023 – a rise of more than 23%. That includes both possession and selling illegal drugs.
A major concern for neighbourhoods and areas across the UK, it may be comforting to know that crimes involving weapons have seen significant decreases in recent years. Both knife (down by 6%) and gun crime (down by 13%) have fallen again over the course of 2023, with initiatives like The Ben Kinsella Trust looking to reduce those even further in the coming months and years.
Of course, there’s still cause for concern. With almost 4,000 total incidents involving weapons in the North West alone, it’s clear there’s still room for improvement.
In order to maintain consistency, transparency and objectivity in all the crime stats we present, we’re using open-source Police data, in conjunction with the latest ONS Census data, to properly give an overview of your area.
We’ve then opted to represent this as a ratio of the number of crimes per 1000 people living in that area. This not only allows for our data to be presented in an easily digestible format, but also takes into consideration key variables like area size, density and population.
