Sherborne is among the top 5 safest small towns in Dorset, and is the 53rd most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 250 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sherborne in 2021 was 43 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 41% lower than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sherborne is the 234th safest small town, and the 4,235th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2021, Sherborne was the worst small town in Dorset for criminal damage and arson, with 17 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.7 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 215 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 8% higher than 2020's figure of 198 offences and a difference of 1.72 from 2020's crime rate of 20. Sherborne's least common crime is robbery, with 1 offence recorded in 2021, the same as 2020's figure of 1 crime.
Top 5 Safest
Small Towns, Dorset
37% lower, regional crime rate
South West
78% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Sherborne is 37% lower than the South West and 78% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Sherborne | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Sherborne represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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 visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43 | 425 |
| 2020 | 43 | 427 |
| 2019 | 38 | 379 |
| 2018 | 45 | 447 |
| 2017 | 37 | 364 |
| 2016 | 36 | 352 |
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| Sherborne | Dorset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 175 | 17.69 | 21,137 | 27.32 | 54% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 5 | 0.51 | 1,131 | 1.46 | 186% safer |
| Burglary | 19 | 1.92 | 2,757 | 3.56 | 85% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 78 | 7.88 | 5,949 | 7.69 | 2.4% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 5 | 0.51 | 1,041 | 1.35 | 165% safer |
| Other Crime | 5 | 0.51 | 428 | 0.55 | 8% safer |
| Other Theft | 42 | 4.24 | 4,221 | 5.46 | 29% safer |
| Public Order | 27 | 2.73 | 3,788 | 4.90 | 79% safer |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.10 | 350 | 0.45 | 350% safer |
| Shoplifting | 21 | 2.12 | 2,391 | 3.09 | 46% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 0.71 | 3,572 | 4.62 | 551% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 215 | 21.73 | 20,621 | 26.65 | 23% safer |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corfe Mullen | 251 | 24.56 | 75% safer |
| West Moors | 222 | 29.12 | 48% safer |
| Verwood | 538 | 35.55 | 21% safer |
| Lytchett Minster and Upton | 322 | 37.01 | 16% safer |
| Sherborne | 425 | 42.96 | - |
| Blandford Forum | 492 | 44.76 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Swanage | 444 | 45.23 | 5% more dangerous |
| Gillingham | 544 | 45.28 | 5% more dangerous |
| Ferndown Town | 866 | 45.89 | 6% more dangerous |
| Shaftesbury | 460 | 51.48 | 17% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pageant Drive | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Vernalls Road | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Hound Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Knotts Paddock | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Abbey Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Vernalls Road | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Yeovil Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Knotts Paddock | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Vernalls Road | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Yeovil Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Lenthay Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near George Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Yeovil Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Drugs | On or near Westbury | Local resolution |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Yeovil Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near George Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 16 | 24 | 18 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.51 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.51 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 0.61 | 0.91 | 0.81 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.20 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 4.4 | 5 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.9 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.71 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20 | 18 | 20 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 42.96 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 36% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 48% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 52% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 53% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 62% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 65% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 67% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 68% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 72% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 425 | 43 | First |
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.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
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