Criminal Damage and Arson Stats and Figures

Last updated: 07 Jun 2026

During 2026, England & Wales's police forces received 418,651 crime reports about criminal damage and arson. This is a decrease of 3.5% from 2025's figure of 433,689 reports of criminal damage and arson, giving an overall crime rate of 6.28 per 1,000 people in 2026 and a rate of 6.57 per 1,000 people for 2025.

The most dangerous cities for criminal damage and arson are Middlesbrough, Kingston upon Hull, and Bradford, with crime rates of 18.97, 10.62, and 10.51 per 1,000 daytime population respectively. The most dangerous region for criminal damage and arson is Durham, which recorded a criminal damage and arson rate of 12.48 offences per 1,000 people in 2026. The second most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson is South Yorkshire, with a crime rate of 8.55, followed by Bristol in third, with a criminal damage and arson rate of 8.35 per 1,000 daytime population.

The safest area in England and Wales for criminal damage and arson is City of London, which had a crime rate of 0.69 in 2026. Next safest is Harrow, followed by Westminster in third place, with crime rates per 1,000 daytime population of 3.66 and 3.68 respectively.

Top Towns & Cities for Criminal Damage and ArsonOffences

Highest Criminal Damage and Arson Rates

Position	Name	Crime Rate
1	Middlesbrough	18.97
2	Kingston upon Hull	10.62
3	Bradford	10.51
4	Leicester	10.30
5	Nottingham	10.02
6	Stoke-on-Trent	9.80
7	Peterborough	9.13
8	Liverpool	8.73
9	Norwich	8.58
10	Birmingham	8.46
11	Bristol	8.35
12	Sheffield	8.03
13	Plymouth	8.00
14	Leeds	7.94
15	Newcastle upon Tyne	7.71
16	Southampton	7.49
17	Derby	7.46
18	Northampton	7.42
19	Wolverhampton	7.35
20	Southend-on-Sea	7.12
21	Cardiff	6.84
22	Coventry	6.78
23	Portsmouth	6.77
24	Belfast City	6.64
25	Brighton and Hove	6.64
26	Swansea	6.55
27	Lewisham	6.44
28	Greenwich	6.22
29	Bexley	6.09
30	Bromley	5.94
31	Lambeth	5.94
32	Luton	5.82
33	Milton Keynes	5.72
34	Croydon	5.71
35	Enfield	5.68
36	Kensington and Chelsea	5.67
37	Hounslow	5.64
38	Barking and Dagenham	5.63
39	Haringey	5.60
40	Bournemouth	5.52
41	Swindon	5.49
42	Brent	5.45
43	Waltham Forest	5.36
44	Ealing	5.33
45	Hillingdon	5.24
46	Reading	5.21
47	Newham	5.10
48	Hackney	5.05
49	Havering	5.00
50	Richmond upon Thames	5.00
51	Hammersmith and Fulham	4.96
52	Redbridge	4.55
53	Islington	4.55
54	Barnet	4.45
55	Southwark	4.34
56	Camden	4.31
57	Kingston upon Thames	4.30
58	Sutton	4.27
59	Wandsworth	4.00
60	Merton	3.98
61	Tower Hamlets	3.75
62	Westminster	3.68
63	Harrow	3.66
64	City of London	0.69

Lowest Criminal Damage and Arson Rates

Position	Name	Crime Rate
1	City of London	0.69
2	Harrow	3.66
3	Westminster	3.68
4	Tower Hamlets	3.75
5	Merton	3.98
6	Wandsworth	4.00
7	Sutton	4.27
8	Kingston upon Thames	4.30
9	Camden	4.31
10	Southwark	4.34
11	Barnet	4.45
12	Redbridge	4.55
13	Islington	4.55
14	Hammersmith and Fulham	4.96
15	Richmond upon Thames	5.00
16	Havering	5.00
17	Hackney	5.05
18	Newham	5.10
19	Reading	5.21
20	Hillingdon	5.24
21	Ealing	5.33
22	Waltham Forest	5.36
23	Brent	5.45
24	Swindon	5.49
25	Bournemouth	5.52
26	Haringey	5.60
27	Barking and Dagenham	5.63
28	Hounslow	5.64
29	Kensington and Chelsea	5.67
30	Enfield	5.68
31	Croydon	5.71
32	Milton Keynes	5.72
33	Luton	5.82
34	Bromley	5.94
35	Lambeth	5.94
36	Bexley	6.09
37	Greenwich	6.22
38	Lewisham	6.44
39	Swansea	6.55
40	Belfast City	6.64
41	Brighton and Hove	6.64
42	Portsmouth	6.77
43	Coventry	6.78
44	Cardiff	6.84
45	Southend-on-Sea	7.12
46	Wolverhampton	7.35
47	Northampton	7.42
48	Derby	7.46
49	Southampton	7.49
50	Newcastle upon Tyne	7.71
51	Leeds	7.94
52	Plymouth	8.00
53	Sheffield	8.03
54	Bristol	8.35
55	Birmingham	8.46
56	Norwich	8.58
57	Liverpool	8.73
58	Peterborough	9.13
59	Stoke-on-Trent	9.80
60	Nottingham	10.02
61	Leicester	10.30
62	Bradford	10.51
63	Kingston upon Hull	10.62
64	Middlesbrough	18.97

Top Counties and Councils for Criminal Damage and ArsonOffences

Highest Criminal Damage and Arson Rates

Position	Name	Crime Rate
1	Durham	12.48
2	South Yorkshire	8.55
3	Bristol	8.35
4	Tyne & Wear	8.17
5	North Yorkshire	7.97
6	Nottinghamshire	7.82
7	Kent	7.75
8	Merseyside	7.72
9	Dyfed	7.64
10	West Yorkshire	7.54

Lowest Criminal Damage and Arson Rates

Position	Name	Crime Rate
1	Greater Manchester	-
2	City and County of the City of London	0.69
3	Fermanagh	2.94
4	Rutland	3.62
5	Tyrone	3.68
6	Gwent	3.89
7	Gloucestershire	3.92
8	Cheshire	4.07
9	Down	4.13
10	Oxfordshire	4.24