Crime and Safety in Thornton, Lancashire
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Thornton is among the top 10 safest small towns in Lancashire, and is the 67th most dangerous overall out of Lancashire's 236 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Thornton in 2026 is 49 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Lancashire's overall crime rate, coming in 32% lower than the Lancashire rate of 72 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Thornton is the 409th safest small town, and the 2,710th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2021, Thornton was the worst small town in Lancashire for shoplifting, with 15 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.77 per 1,000 daytime population. November 2021 was also a bad month for Thornton residents, when it was again Lancashire's most dangerous small town for shoplifting, recording 18 crimes at a rate of 0.92 per 1,000 daytime population. Thornton recorded 9 reports of vehicle crime during September 2017, making its crime rate of 1.4 the worst small town for vehicle crime in Lancashire that month.
The most common crimes in Thornton are violence and sexual offences, with 520 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 10% higher than 2025's figure of 474 offences and a difference of 2.32 from 2025's crime rate of 24. Thornton's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 3 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 40% from 2025's figure of 5 crimes.
Thornton 2026 Crime Scorecard
Top 10 Safest
Small Towns, Lancashire
12% higher, regional crime rate
North West
33% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Thornton is 12% higher than the North West and 33% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Thornton Crime Rate Over Time
| Thornton | |
| North West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Thornton Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Thornton 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 Thornton Compares
You can compare Thornton'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 Thornton's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Thornton up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Thornton's 506 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 Thornton? 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
Thornton • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Thornton has a crime risk score of 464. This is based on analysis of 506 nearby areas within Thornton, 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 Thornton's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Thornton, crime risk scores are typically around 464, while in Lancashire they are average 494.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 500 (504 for Lancashire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 563 (Lancashire 511).
Trends in Crime Risk
Thornton
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.
No trend could be found in Thornton's crime risk scores over the last 10 years, and the trend may well be static.
The five-year trend may be static; no significant trend was identified in Thornton's crime risk scores during this timeframe.
Over the last year, Thornton's crime risk score has shown an upward trend of approximately 18%, indicating that the risk profile is going up. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Thornton
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
Thornton • 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.
Possession of Weapons offences have a crime rate of 0.30 reports per 1,000 people in Thornton, which is 1.36 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 6 crime reports logged by Lancashire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Lancashire Police recorded 111 reports of Criminal Damage and Arson in Thornton, resulting in a crime rate of 5.58 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 0.89.
The crime rate for Violence and Sexual Offences is 0.86 times the national average at 26 reports per 1,000. This is from 520 crime reports reported to Lancashire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Thornton
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.
Violence and Sexual Offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.97 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Violence and Sexual Offences CrimeRate Index was 0.76 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 28% over this timeframe.
Drugs offences are trending upwards, though the CrimeRate Index three years ago is too low to measure, and the trend should be reviewed with caution.
Possession of Weapons offences are trending upwards, though the CrimeRate Index three years ago is too low to measure, and the trend should be reviewed with caution.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Thornton
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.65 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson CrimeRate Index was 0.87 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 25% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Thornton • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Thornton | Lancashire | North West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 321 | 16.18 | 1.15 | 44,091 | 25.12 | 1.78 | 68,604 | 7.93 | 0.56 |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.15 | 0.83 | 935 | 0.54 | 0.74 | 2,963 | 0.35 | 0.48 |
| Burglary | 35 | 1.75 | 0.61 | 5,672 | 3.22 | 1.03 | 13,151 | 1.50 | 0.48 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 111 | 5.58 | 0.89 | 12,487 | 7.11 | 1.13 | 34,232 | 3.94 | 0.63 |
| Drugs | 18 | 0.90 | 0.35 | 4,150 | 2.37 | 0.77 | 23,463 | 2.70 | 0.87 |
| Other Crime | 37 | 1.85 | 1.00 | 4,141 | 2.36 | 1.28 | 11,008 | 1.28 | 0.69 |
| Other Theft | 61 | 3.05 | 0.59 | 9,088 | 5.17 | 0.91 | 24,256 | 2.79 | 0.49 |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.30 | 1.36 | 1,753 | 1.01 | 1.19 | 4,543 | 0.53 | 0.62 |
| Public Order | 57 | 2.85 | 0.49 | 8,532 | 4.86 | 0.84 | 36,702 | 4.23 | 0.73 |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.15 | 0.52 | 1,207 | 0.69 | 0.58 | 3,301 | 0.38 | 0.32 |
| Shoplifting | 60 | 3.00 | 0.42 | 9,243 | 5.26 | 0.74 | 27,614 | 3.18 | 0.45 |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.15 | 0.38 | 663 | 0.38 | 0.25 | 1,948 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Vehicle Crime | 52 | 2.60 | 0.60 | 6,294 | 3.57 | 0.83 | 14,353 | 1.67 | 0.39 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 520 | 26.22 | 0.86 | 62,045 | 35.33 | 1.16 | 178,380 | 20.58 | 0.68 |
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Total Crime by Year
Thornton | Lancashire | North West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 966 | 48.55 | 0.72 | 126,210 | 71.87 | 1.00 | 375,914 | 43.36 | 0.60 |
| 2025 | 930 | 46.96 | 0.69 | 125,027 | 71.71 | 0.97 | 373,106 | 43.34 | 0.59 |
| 2024 | 856 | 43.01 | 0.63 | 125,021 | 72.60 | 0.96 | 380,165 | 44.52 | 0.59 |
| 2023 | 721 | 36.12 | 0.50 | 126,579 | 74.37 | 0.94 | 418,544 | 49.63 | 0.63 |
| 2022 | 921 | 46.88 | 0.66 | 128,887 | 76.97 | 1.00 | 410,255 | 49.27 | 0.64 |
| 2021 | 852 | 43.80 | 0.71 | 122,462 | 73.89 | 1.08 | 363,499 | 44.00 | 0.64 |
| 2020 | 794 | 40.83 | 0.60 | 132,867 | 80.49 | 1.09 | 388,434 | 47.29 | 0.64 |
| 2019 | 1,005 | 51.96 | 0.72 | 159,649 | 97.36 | 1.28 | 412,412 | 50.39 | 0.66 |
| 2018 | 788 | 40.79 | 0.61 | 125,020 | 76.64 | 1.08 | 361,592 | 44.45 | 0.63 |
| 2017 | 656 | 34.30 | 0.59 | 103,791 | 64.02 | 1.00 | 303,042 | 37.41 | 0.59 |
| 2016 | 187 | 9.85 | 0.58 | 30,635 | 18.97 | 0.99 | 87,310 | 10.80 | 0.57 |
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Thornton Compared to Nearby Small Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brierfield | 768 | 66.29 | 37% more dangerous |
| Rawtenstall | 1,710 | 69.86 | 44% more dangerous |
| Heysham | 1,114 | 65.63 | 35% more dangerous |
| Kirkham | 508 | 54.82 | 13% more dangerous |
| Clayton-le-Woods | 1,008 | 59.90 | 23% more dangerous |
| Poulton-le-Fylde | 844 | 60.25 | 24% more dangerous |
| Whitworth | 457 | 54.23 | 12% more dangerous |
| Longridge | 498 | 54.79 | 13% more dangerous |
| Cleveleys | 600 | 54.12 | 11% more dangerous |
| Haslingden | 945 | 56.12 | 16% more dangerous |
| Burscough | 580 | 52.19 | 7% more dangerous |
| Thornton | 966 | 48.55 | - |
| Coppull | 340 | 40.41 | 17% safer |
| Penwortham | 1,091 | 47.04 | 3.1% safer |
| Barnoldswick | 466 | 40.43 | 17% safer |
| Clitheroe | 840 | 42.21 | 13% safer |
| Up Holland | 285 | 31.12 | 36% safer |
| Euxton | 543 | 31.51 | 35% safer |
Comparing Thornton to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 48.55 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 64% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 70% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 73% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 102% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 116% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 116% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 119% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 121% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 122% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 157% more dangerous |
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Offences In and Around Thornton's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Thornton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poolfoot Farm Training Ground | 5 | - | 2 | - | 11 | 7 |
| Wyre Estuary Country Park | 11 | 1 | 4 | - | 5 | 8 |
| Occupation Road Allotments | 8 | - | 2 | - | 6 | 7 |
| Thornton Health and Fitness Centre | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| King George's Playing Fields | 15 | - | 1 | 1 | 11 | 13 |
| Sandringham Avenue Allotments | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 |
| HASSRA Fylde Sports Ground | 5 | 2 | - | - | 11 | 6 |
| Kenyon Gardens | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 2 |
Recent Crimes in Thornton
The 20 most recent crime reports in Thornton.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Whimbrel Drive | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Belvedere Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Alder Lane | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Ivy Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Roscoe Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Orchard Close | |
| April 2026 | Other crime | On or near Springbank Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Belvedere Road | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Churchill Close | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Fieldhouse Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Hastings Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Alder Lane | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Fieldhouse Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pennyfarthing Lane | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Mildred Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Alder Lane | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Whimbrel Drive | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Rippingale Way |
Methodology & Data Sources
Thornton 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 Thornton 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.
Thornton Data Points
For Thornton, 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 E63000699.
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 Thornton's daytime - or "workday" - population of 12,418 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 Thornton