Blyth Crime Overview
Blyth is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Northumberland, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Northumberland's 165 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Blyth in 2020 was 123 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Northumberland's overall crime rate, coming in 41% higher than the Northumberland rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Blyth is among the top 20 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 250th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Blyth had the worst crime rate in Northumberland for bicycle theft, with 9 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.23 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Blyth residents, when it was Northumberland's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 17 crimes at a rate of 0.43 per 1,000 residents. Blyth recorded 57 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 1.4 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Northumberland that month.
The most common crimes in Blyth are violence and sexual offences, with 2,034 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 51. This is the same as 2019's figure of 2,034 offences and a difference of 0.00 from 2019's crime rate of 51. Blyth's least common crime is robbery, with 21 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 43% from 2019's figure of 30 crimes.
Compare Blyth to other towns and cities
See how Blyth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Blyth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Blyth Crime Map
Crime in Blyth Compared To Northumberland
Summary of Crimes in Blyth This Year
| Blyth | Northumberland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,896 | 47.96 | 11,368 | 35.32 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 38 | 0.96 | 145 | 0.45 | 53% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 268 | 6.78 | 1,193 | 3.71 | 45% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 647 | 16.37 | 3,408 | 10.59 | 35% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 94 | 2.38 | 518 | 1.61 | 32% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 149 | 3.77 | 710 | 2.21 | 41% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 323 | 8.17 | 1,835 | 5.70 | 30% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 42 | 1.06 | 180 | 0.56 | 47% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 687 | 17.38 | 3,233 | 10.04 | 42% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 21 | 0.53 | 62 | 0.19 | 64% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 317 | 8.02 | 1,309 | 4.07 | 49% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 34 | 0.86 | 106 | 0.33 | 62% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 191 | 4.83 | 862 | 2.68 | 45% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,034 | 51.45 | 9,565 | 29.72 | 42% more dangerous |
Blyth Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cramlington | 2,025 | 69.30 | 77% safer |
| Ashington | 3,392 | 120.05 | 2.1% safer |
| Blyth | 4,845 | 122.55 | - |
Crime Over Time in Blyth
View crime percentage over time forBlyth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 57 | 38 | 38 | 48 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.96 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 30 | 23 | 19 | 16 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.3 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Public Order | 17 | 20 | 18 | 17 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.56 | 0.99 | 0.76 | 0.53 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 14 | 15 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.83 | 0.86 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 44 | 51 | 51 | 51 | Getting worse |
Changes In Blyth's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Blyth's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Blyth that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Newsham Pavillion | 10 | - | - | - | 8 | 3 | 4.2 |
Comparing Blyth to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Blyth's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blyth Cowpen | 1,088 | 155 | Second |
| Blyth Isabella | 925 | 114 | Third |
| Blyth Newsham | 948 | 111 | Fourth |
| Blyth South | 222 | 35 | Fifth |
| Blyth Town | 1,662 | 176 | First |
Blyth Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Blyth for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Blyth South (165) | Blyth Town (643) |
| Bicycle Theft | Blyth South (2) | Blyth Cowpen (11) |
| Burglary | Blyth South (14) | Blyth Town (102) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Blyth South (32) | Blyth Town (220) |
| Drugs | Blyth South (3) | Blyth Town (45) |
| Other Crime | Blyth South (9) | Blyth Cowpen (34) |
| Other Theft | Blyth South (10) | Blyth Town (100) |
| Possession of Weapons | Blyth South (1) | Blyth Town (16) |
| Public Order | Blyth South (21) | Blyth Town (257) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Blyth Newsham (1) | Blyth Town (12) |
| Shoplifting | Blyth South (6) | Blyth Town (147) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Blyth South (1) | Blyth Town (17) |
| Vehicle Crime | Blyth Newsham (23) | Blyth Town (79) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Blyth South (84) | Blyth Cowpen (490) |
Crime in Blyth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Blyth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Blyth saw a 1,000% increase in anti-social behaviour. Blyth saw a large fall in drugs during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019. Rates of other theft and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Blyth's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -12% | +44% | +103% | +8% | -79% | -5% | +33% | +66% | +93% | +1,000% |
| Bicycle Theft | +25% | - | -67% | - | -50% | +250% | +50% | -80% | - | -67% |
| Burglary | -7% | -16% | +5% | -14% | -38% | -27% | -22% | -19% | - | -23% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -30% | -49% | -36% | -18% | +9% | +16% | +14% | +18% | -30% | +24% |
| Drugs | +50% | -89% | - | +17% | +200% | +100% | - | +450% | -20% | +450% |
| Other Crime | -36% | -17% | +150% | -25% | -18% | - | -42% | +267% | +100% | +180% |
| Other Theft | -34% | -49% | +68% | -44% | -32% | -14% | -46% | -25% | -9% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | -33% | - | -83% | +14% | +600% | - | -50% | -60% | -33% | - |
| Public Order | +13% | -39% | -9% | +13% | +16% | +7% | +11% | +20% | +4% | +21% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | +100% | - | -88% | +100% | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -38% | -79% | - | -25% | -23% | -66% | -52% | -68% | -70% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | +300% | -50% | +100% | -60% | -50% | -40% | +300% | -40% | +100% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -44% | -38% | -8% | - | +52% | +7% | +33% | -8% | -58% | +50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -16% | -26% | -12% | +6% | +3% | +5% | +15% | -1% | +3% | +14% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Blyth
What police force serves Blyth?
Blyth's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Blyth?
Blyth is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Northumberland.What is Blyth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Blyth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Blyth?
Blyth's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021