Crime and Safety in Widnes, Cheshire
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Widnes is the third safest major town in Cheshire, and is the 34th most dangerous overall out of Cheshire's 321 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Widnes in 2026 is 73 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cheshire's overall crime rate, coming in 28% higher than the Cheshire rate of 57 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Widnes is the 44th safest major town, and the 1,264th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2026, Widnes was the worst major town in Cheshire for burglary, with 18 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.27 per 1,000 daytime population. February 2026 was also a bad month for Widnes residents, when it was Cheshire's most dangerous major town for anti-social behaviour, recording 51 crimes at a rate of 0.78 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Widnes are violence and sexual offences, with 2,379 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 36. This is 0.17% higher than 2025's figure of 2,375 offences and a difference of 0.03 from 2025's crime rate of 36. Widnes's least common crime is theft from the person, with 10 offences recorded in 2026, the same as 2025's figure of 10 crimes.
Widnes 2026 Crime Scorecard
Third Safest
Major Towns, Cheshire
68% higher, regional crime rate
North West
1.2% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Widnes is 68% higher than the North West and 1.2% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Widnes Crime Rate Over Time
| Widnes | |
| North West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Widnes Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Widnes represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Widnes Compares
You can compare Widnes's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Widnes's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Widnes up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Widnes's 1,435 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Widnes? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Widnes • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Widnes has a crime risk score of 592. This is based on analysis of 1,435 nearby areas within Widnes, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Widnes's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Widnes, crime risk scores are typically around 592, while in Cheshire they are average 486.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 640 (475 for Cheshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 676 (Cheshire 477).
Trends in Crime Risk
Widnes
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates a decrease of 8% in Widnes's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Widnes's crime risk score is down by 10%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Widnes's crime risk score has shown a downward trend of approximately 1.3%, indicating that the risk profile is going down. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Widnes
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Widnes • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Public Order offences have a crime rate of 8.76 reports per 1,000 people in Widnes, which is 1.51 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 575 crime reports logged by Cheshire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Cheshire Police recorded 269 reports of Drugs in Widnes, resulting in a crime rate of 4.11 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.33.
The crime rate for Violence and Sexual Offences is 1.19 times the national average at 36 reports per 1,000. This is from 2,379 crime reports reported to Cheshire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Widnes
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
No significant increases identified.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Widnes
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Burglary offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.46 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 1.37 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 66% over this timeframe.
Drugs offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.39 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Drugs CrimeRate Index was 2.29 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 39% over this timeframe.
Theft From the Person offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.17 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Theft From the Person CrimeRate Index was 0.23 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 26% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Widnes • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Widnes | Cheshire | North West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 596 | 9.10 | 0.64 | 7,389 | 5.65 | 0.40 | 68,604 | 7.93 | 0.56 |
| Bicycle Theft | 41 | 0.65 | 0.98 | 625 | 0.47 | 0.64 | 2,963 | 0.35 | 0.48 |
| Burglary | 164 | 2.50 | 0.80 | 2,485 | 1.90 | 0.61 | 13,151 | 1.50 | 0.48 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 383 | 5.85 | 0.93 | 5,329 | 4.07 | 0.65 | 34,232 | 3.94 | 0.63 |
| Drugs | 269 | 4.11 | 1.33 | 3,853 | 2.94 | 0.95 | 23,463 | 2.70 | 0.87 |
| Other Crime | 137 | 2.08 | 1.12 | 1,989 | 1.52 | 0.82 | 11,008 | 1.28 | 0.69 |
| Other Theft | 279 | 4.26 | 0.75 | 4,753 | 3.62 | 0.64 | 24,256 | 2.79 | 0.49 |
| Possession of Weapons | 63 | 0.97 | 1.14 | 829 | 0.64 | 0.75 | 4,543 | 0.53 | 0.62 |
| Public Order | 575 | 8.76 | 1.51 | 9,119 | 6.98 | 1.20 | 36,702 | 4.23 | 0.73 |
| Robbery | 48 | 0.75 | 0.64 | 458 | 0.35 | 0.30 | 3,301 | 0.38 | 0.32 |
| Shoplifting | 263 | 4.02 | 0.56 | 5,365 | 4.10 | 0.58 | 27,614 | 3.18 | 0.45 |
| Theft From the Person | 10 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 264 | 0.21 | 0.14 | 1,948 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Vehicle Crime | 157 | 2.39 | 0.56 | 2,191 | 1.67 | 0.39 | 14,353 | 1.67 | 0.39 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,379 | 36.29 | 1.19 | 37,331 | 28.56 | 0.94 | 178,380 | 20.58 | 0.68 |
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Total Crime by Year
Widnes | Cheshire | North West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 4,768 | 72.81 | 1.02 | 74,591 | 57.03 | 0.79 | 375,914 | 43.36 | 0.60 |
| 2025 | 5,452 | 83.69 | 1.14 | 75,689 | 58.27 | 0.79 | 373,106 | 43.34 | 0.59 |
| 2024 | 5,564 | 85.55 | 1.14 | 76,482 | 59.44 | 0.79 | 380,165 | 44.52 | 0.59 |
| 2023 | 6,200 | 95.62 | 1.22 | 85,426 | 67.07 | 0.85 | 418,544 | 49.63 | 0.63 |
| 2022 | 5,409 | 84.31 | 1.10 | 75,838 | 60.39 | 0.79 | 410,255 | 49.27 | 0.64 |
| 2021 | 5,742 | 89.71 | 1.32 | 77,168 | 62.01 | 0.90 | 363,499 | 44.00 | 0.64 |
| 2020 | 6,303 | 98.72 | 1.33 | 84,160 | 68.11 | 0.92 | 388,434 | 47.29 | 0.64 |
| 2019 | 6,530 | 102.84 | 1.35 | 80,803 | 65.69 | 0.86 | 412,412 | 50.39 | 0.66 |
| 2018 | 6,096 | 96.62 | 1.37 | 81,117 | 66.34 | 0.93 | 361,592 | 44.45 | 0.63 |
| 2017 | 4,793 | 76.37 | 1.20 | 62,384 | 51.37 | 0.80 | 303,042 | 37.41 | 0.59 |
| 2016 | 1,179 | 18.80 | 0.99 | 15,857 | 13.13 | 0.69 | 87,310 | 10.80 | 0.57 |
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Widnes Compared to Nearby Major Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrington | 7,975 | 100.25 | 38% more dangerous |
| Crewe | 6,618 | 96.20 | 32% more dangerous |
| Chester | 7,705 | 86.63 | 19% more dangerous |
| Ellesmere Port | 5,558 | 77.06 | 6% more dangerous |
| Runcorn | 4,726 | 73.12 | 0.43% more dangerous |
| Widnes | 4,768 | 72.81 | - |
Comparing Widnes to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Widnes | 72.81 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 9% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 14% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 15% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 44% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 44% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 47% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 48% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 72% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
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You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Widnes's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Widnes that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hough Green Park | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 9 | 3 |
| Victoria Park | 40 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 41 | 21 |
| Leigh Recreation Ground | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 9 |
| St Marie's Park | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 8 |
| Victoria Gardens | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | 22 | 9 |
| Quarry Gardens | 7 | 1 | 3 | - | 21 | 6 |
| Birchfield Gardens | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | 6 |
| Sunnybank Woodland Park | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Crow Wood Park | 21 | 9 | 3 | - | 19 | 23 |
| King George's Park | 23 | 7 | 6 | - | 37 | 18 |
| Peel House Cemetery | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 |
| Lovel Field | 4 | - | 3 | - | 10 | 7 |
| Barrow's Green Weates Close Easement | 1 | - | - | - | 6 | 3 |
| Upton Rocks | 17 | 1 | 9 | - | 51 | 38 |
| Pex Hill Country Park | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Recent Crimes in Widnes
The 20 most recent crime reports in Widnes.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Columbine Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Columbine Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Columbine Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Bishops Way | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Bishops Way | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Edward Street | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Queen'S Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Edward Street | |
| April 2026 | Possession of weapons | On or near Shopping Area | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Winchester Place | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Shopping Area | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Queen'S Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Orchard Way | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Derwent Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Iris Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Houghton Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Houghton Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Iona Crescent | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Derwent Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Derwent Road |
Methodology & Data Sources
Widnes Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Widnes during June 2026 will typically become available in August 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Widnes Data Points
For Widnes, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2022 release of their Built Up Areas dataset, using the BUA22CD column value E63001425.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Widnes's daytime - or "workday" - population of 50,503 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Widnes