Morpeth Crime Overview
Morpeth is the third most dangerous small town in Northumberland, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Northumberland's 165 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Morpeth in 2020 was 76 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Northumberland's overall crime rate, coming in 6% higher than the Northumberland rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Morpeth is the 149th most dangerous small town, and the 1,129th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2019, Morpeth had the worst crime rate in Northumberland for robbery, with 1 crime reported and a crime rate of 0.07 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2019 was also a bad month for Morpeth residents, when it was Northumberland's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.27 per 1,000 residents. Morpeth recorded 5 reports of drugs during December 2019, making its crime rate of 0.34 the worst for drugs in Northumberland that month.
The most common crimes in Morpeth are violence and sexual offences, with 468 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 15% higher than 2019's figure of 398 offences and a difference of 4.75 from 2019's crime rate of 27. Morpeth's least common crime is robbery, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Morpeth to other towns and cities
See how Morpeth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Morpeth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Morpeth Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Morpeth This Year
| Morpeth | Northumberland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 486 | 32.96 | 11,368 | 35.32 | 7% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 5 | 0.34 | 145 | 0.45 | 32% safer |
| Burglary | 64 | 4.34 | 1,193 | 3.71 | 15% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 159 | 10.78 | 3,408 | 10.59 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 8 | 0.54 | 518 | 1.61 | 198% safer |
| Other Crime | 16 | 1.09 | 710 | 2.21 | 103% safer |
| Other Theft | 97 | 6.58 | 1,835 | 5.70 | 13% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.54 | 180 | 0.56 | 3.7% safer |
| Public Order | 162 | 10.99 | 3,233 | 10.04 | 9% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.07 | 62 | 0.19 | 171% safer |
| Shoplifting | 100 | 6.78 | 1,309 | 4.07 | 40% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 0.54 | 106 | 0.33 | 39% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 30 | 2.03 | 862 | 2.68 | 32% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 468 | 31.74 | 9,565 | 29.72 | 6% more dangerous |
Crime in Morpeth Compared To Northumberland
Morpeth Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prudhoe | 677 | 56.71 | 35% safer |
| Seaton Valley | 1,020 | 63.22 | 21% safer |
| Alnwick | 542 | 67.94 | 12% safer |
| Choppington | 651 | 68.46 | 12% safer |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | 912 | 74.99 | 1.8% safer |
| Morpeth | 1,126 | 76.36 | - |
| West Bedlington | 804 | 79.69 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| East Bedlington | 1,114 | 130.75 | 42% more dangerous |
Morpeth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 23 | 18 | 33 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.14 | 0.34 | No change |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 13 | 10 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.54 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.20 | 0.47 | 0.20 | 0.54 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 10 | 8 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | - | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.95 | 0.54 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 27 | 27 | 32 | Getting worse |
Changes In Morpeth's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Morpeth to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 13% safer |
| Morpeth | 76.36 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 1.4% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 8% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 11% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 22% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 26% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 29% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 43% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 44% more dangerous |
Crime in Morpeth's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morpeth Central & East | 612 | 99 | First |
| Morpeth South & West | 202 | 30 | Second |
Crime in Morpeth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Morpeth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Morpeth saw a 1,175% increase in anti-social behaviour. Morpeth saw a large fall in shoplifting during July, when it fell by 91% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -4% | +179% | +327% | +97% | -81% | +13% | +79% | +221% | +95% | +1,175% |
| Burglary | +67% | - | +75% | - | +400% | +50% | +150% | -29% | -33% | +167% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +121% | - | +80% | -56% | -37% | +133% | -25% | -13% | +88% | -31% |
| Drugs | -33% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | +50% | - | - | - | - | -75% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -33% | -62% | -53% | -18% | -27% | +22% | -25% | +43% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +150% | - | +75% | -7% | -13% | +80% | +140% | +100% | -9% | -9% |
| Shoplifting | +100% | -40% | -50% | +33% | -91% | -77% | +38% | -44% | -55% | +33% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | -75% | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +20% | +50% | +33% | - | -57% | - | - | - | +25% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -2% | +73% | -18% | -3% | -30% | +34% | +25% | +15% | +50% | +7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Morpeth
What police force serves Morpeth?
Morpeth's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Morpeth?
Morpeth is the third most dangerous small town in Northumberland.What is Morpeth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Morpeth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Morpeth?
Morpeth's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021