Thornton Crime Overview
Thornton is among the top 10 safest small towns in Lancashire, and is the 101st most dangerous overall out of Lancashire's 241 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Thornton in 2020 was 36 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Lancashire's overall crime rate, coming in 101% lower than the Lancashire rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Thornton is the 185th safest small town, and the 5,163rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Thornton was the worst small town in Lancashire for robbery, with 1 crime reported and a crime rate of 0.05 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2019 was also a bad month for Thornton residents, when it was Lancashire's most dangerous small town for vehicle crime, recording 12 crimes at a rate of 0.60 per 1,000 residents. Thornton recorded 5 reports of other crime during May 2019, making its crime rate of 0.25 the worst small town for other crime in Lancashire that month.
The most common crimes in Thornton are violence and sexual offences, with 397 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 10% higher than 2019's figure of 356 offences and a difference of 2.05 from 2019's crime rate of 18. Thornton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Thornton to other towns and cities
See how Thornton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Thornton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Thornton Crime Map
Crime in Thornton Compared To Lancashire
Summary of Crimes in Thornton This Year
| Thornton | Lancashire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 754 | 37.66 | 88,466 | 58.63 | 56% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 0.35 | 867 | 0.57 | 63% safer |
| Burglary | 41 | 2.05 | 7,491 | 4.96 | 142% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 106 | 5.29 | 13,628 | 9.03 | 71% safer |
| Drugs | 10 | 0.50 | 2,486 | 1.65 | 230% safer |
| Other Crime | 15 | 0.75 | 2,591 | 1.72 | 129% safer |
| Other Theft | 51 | 2.55 | 9,770 | 6.48 | 154% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2 | 0.10 | 989 | 0.66 | 560% safer |
| Public Order | 33 | 1.65 | 8,094 | 5.36 | 225% safer |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.20 | 752 | 0.50 | 150% safer |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 0.70 | 5,411 | 3.59 | 413% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 2 | 0.10 | 555 | 0.37 | 270% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 40 | 2.00 | 6,257 | 4.15 | 108% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 397 | 19.83 | 50,363 | 33.38 | 68% safer |
Thornton Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penwortham | 534 | 23.46 | 54% safer |
| Burscough | 319 | 33.07 | 9% safer |
| Poulton-le-Fylde | 629 | 34.73 | 3.8% safer |
| Clayton-le-Woods | 559 | 35.02 | 3.0% safer |
| Euxton | 471 | 35.91 | 0.42% safer |
| Thornton | 722 | 36.06 | - |
| Clitheroe | 653 | 39.21 | 8% more dangerous |
| Longridge | 328 | 39.93 | 10% more dangerous |
| Up Holland | 304 | 40.22 | 10% more dangerous |
| Barnoldswick | 464 | 43.51 | 17% more dangerous |
| Padiham | 458 | 45.18 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Thornton
View crime percentage over time forThornton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 19 | 20 | 38 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.45 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.35 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 7 | 4.2 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.35 | 0.55 | 0.35 | 0.50 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.65 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.75 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.20 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.20 | 0.30 | - | 0.10 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.2 | 5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12 | 22 | 18 | 20 | Getting worse |
Changes In Thornton's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Thornton to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 36.06 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 47% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 53% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 57% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 58% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 63% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 65% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 66% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 73% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 74% more dangerous |
Crime in Thornton's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveleys East | 243 | 32 | First |
| Thornton East & Carleton West | 254 | 28 | Second |
Crime in Thornton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Thornton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Thornton saw a 600% increase in vehicle crime. Thornton saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +71% | +167% | +127% | +420% | -23% | -40% | +65% | +185% | +123% | +100% |
| Burglary | +133% | - | +300% | -75% | -38% | -50% | -80% | +50% | +200% | -33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +25% | -20% | -45% | -20% | - | - | +450% | +167% | -11% | +13% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +200% | - |
| Other Crime | -40% | - | - | -33% | -33% | - | - | - | - | +200% |
| Other Theft | +67% | -83% | -33% | -40% | -70% | +67% | -63% | +75% | - | +60% |
| Public Order | +33% | -33% | -40% | +200% | -83% | -25% | -50% | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | -90% | -50% | -33% | - | - | +50% | -86% | -60% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +60% | -25% | -50% | -67% | -71% | - | -75% | -86% | +600% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -3% | -24% | -40% | +13% | +42% | +30% | +17% | +52% | +43% | +23% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Thornton
What police force serves Thornton?
Thornton's local territorial police force is the Lancashire Constabulary.How dangerous is Thornton?
Thornton is among the top 10 safest small towns in Lancashire.What is Thornton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Thornton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Thornton?
Thornton's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021