Sherborne Crime Overview

Sherborne is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Dorset, and is the 49th most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sherborne in 2020 was 43 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 40% lower than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sherborne is the 291st safest small town, and the 3,903rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.

In February 2020, Sherborne was the worst small town in Dorset for bicycle theft, with 1 crime reported and a crime rate of 0.10 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2020 was also a bad month for Sherborne residents, when it was Dorset's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.10 per 1,000 residents. Sherborne recorded 1 report of robbery during August 2020, making its crime rate of 0.10 the worst small town for robbery in Dorset that month.

The most common crimes in Sherborne are violence and sexual offences, with 198 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 180 offences and a difference of 1.82 from 2019's crime rate of 18. Sherborne's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 1 crime.

Compare Sherborne to other towns and cities

See how Sherborne shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sherborne and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.

Sherborne Crime Map

Click to use map

Crime in Sherborne Compared To Dorset

Are you researching crime in Sherborne, or have a general question? Please contact our team. We offer free consultation on basic requests. This content is licensed CC BY-ND 4.0. When referencing or citing CrimeRate data or content on third-party sites, we require attribution to the source page on crimerate.co.uk
Creative Commons logo

Summary of Crimes in Sherborne This Year

 SherborneDorset 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour24124.3625,48132.9435% safer
Bicycle Theft10.101,1631.501400% safer
Burglary222.222,9163.7770% safer
Criminal Damage and Arson646.476,2258.0524% safer
Drugs80.811,1991.5591% safer
Other Crime20.205350.69245% safer
Other Theft505.054,1485.366% safer
Possession of Weapons30.303080.4033% safer
Public Order393.943,1584.083.6% safer
Robbery10.103600.47370% safer
Shoplifting262.632,6263.3929% safer
Theft From the Person10.103300.43330% safer
Vehicle Crime121.213,6634.73291% safer
Violence and Sexual Offences19820.0120,04125.9029% safer

Sherborne Compared to Nearby Small Towns

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Corfe Mullen22822.3193% safer
West Moors17623.0987% safer
Verwood51734.1626% safer
Swanage36036.6718% safer
Ferndown Town73739.0511% safer
Sherborne42743.16-
Gillingham52443.611.0% more dangerous
Shaftesbury41846.788% more dangerous
Blandford Forum52948.1310% more dangerous
Dorchester1,31961.5330% more dangerous
Portland83562.7331% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Sherborne

View crime percentage over time for

Recent Crimes in Sherborne

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near North RoadFurther investigation is not in the public interest
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near North RoadFormal action is not in the public interest
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near FostersInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Simons RoadAction to be taken by another organisation
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Richmond GreenInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near St Aldhelm'S RoadAction to be taken by another organisation
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near St Aldhelm'S RoadAction to be taken by another organisation
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near St Aldhelm'S RoadAction to be taken by another organisation
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Wingfield RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near StonedeneUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Other theftOn or near Vernalls RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Public orderOn or near SupermarketUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near SupermarketUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Knotts PaddockInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Petrol StationInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Abbots WayInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Horsecastles LaneInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Pageant DriveInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Public orderOn or near Wootton GroveUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Station RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified

Sherborne Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour21201624Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.510.510.100.10Safer
Burglary1.83.21.72.2Safer
Criminal Damage and Arson7566Getting worse
Drugs-0.610.910.81Getting worse
Other Crime0.300.710.710.20Safer
Other Theft4.854.45Getting worse
Possession of Weapons0.100.510.300.30Safer
Public Order0.911.91.73.9Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)-0.400.100.10Safer
Shoplifting54.12.92.6Safer
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)0.300.300.510.10Safer
Vehicle Crime2.22.31.01.2Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences13201820Getting worse

Changes In Sherborne's Crime Rates Over Time

Comparing Sherborne to the UK's Major Cities

Small TownCrime RateRate Difference
Sherborne43.16-
Barnet67.7136% more dangerous
Coventry77.4144% more dangerous
Croydon83.2248% more dangerous
Sheffield85.8150% more dangerous
Bristol86.2150% more dangerous
Leicester97.4456% more dangerous
Birmingham102.8758% more dangerous
Liverpool107.2860% more dangerous
Bradford133.0268% more dangerous
Leeds137.1069% more dangerous

Crime in Sherborne's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Sherborne42743First

Crime in Sherborne During Coronavirus Lockdowns

Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sherborne change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Sherborne saw a 260% increase in anti-social behaviour. Sherborne saw a large fall in burglary during August, when it fell by 75% compared to August in 2019.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Anti-Social Behaviour+150%+200%+43%+107%+14%+15%-47%+260%-+233%
Burglary------75%---50%-
Criminal Damage and Arson+29%--+133%--33%-75%--20%-25%
Drugs----50%------
Other Crime----67%------
Other Theft+150%-33%-67%-50%--33%+20%+250%-+100%
Possession of Weapons----------
Public Order--75%-+100%+150%+200%-67%+200%+100%+150%
Shoplifting+200%-33%--+100%---50%--
Violence and Sexual Offences+67%-17%-50%+43%-+8%+89%+109%-18%+75%

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sherborne

What police force serves Sherborne?
Sherborne's local territorial police force is the Dorset Police.
How dangerous is Sherborne?
Sherborne is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Dorset.
What is Sherborne's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sherborne are violence and sexual offences.
What is the least common crime in Sherborne?
Sherborne's least common crime is bicycle theft.

Last updated: 31 Dec 2021