West Bedlington Crime Overview
West Bedlington is the second 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 West Bedlington in 2020 was 80 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Northumberland's overall crime rate, coming in 10% higher than the Northumberland rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, West Bedlington is the 129th most dangerous small town, and the 1,009th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2018, West Bedlington had the worst crime rate in Northumberland for possession of weapons, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.30 per 1,000 inhabitants. January 2017 was also a bad month for West Bedlington residents, when it was Northumberland's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.20 per 1,000 residents. West Bedlington recorded 2 reports of other crime during February 2015, making its crime rate of 0.20 the worst for other crime in Northumberland that month.
The most common crimes in West Bedlington are violence and sexual offences, with 373 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 3.5% lower than 2019's figure of 386 offences and a difference of 1.29 from 2019's crime rate of 38. West Bedlington's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 500% from 2019's figure of 6 crimes.
Compare West Bedlington to other towns and cities
See how West Bedlington shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how West Bedlington and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
West Bedlington Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in West Bedlington This Year
| West Bedlington | Northumberland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 533 | 52.83 | 11,368 | 35.32 | 33% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 2 | 0.20 | 145 | 0.45 | 125% safer |
| Burglary | 41 | 4.06 | 1,193 | 3.71 | 9% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 119 | 11.80 | 3,408 | 10.59 | 10% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 12 | 1.19 | 518 | 1.61 | 35% safer |
| Other Crime | 19 | 1.88 | 710 | 2.21 | 18% safer |
| Other Theft | 54 | 5.35 | 1,835 | 5.70 | 7% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.59 | 180 | 0.56 | 5% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 113 | 11.20 | 3,233 | 10.04 | 10% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 35 | 3.47 | 1,309 | 4.07 | 17% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.10 | 106 | 0.33 | 230% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 29 | 2.87 | 862 | 2.68 | 7% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 373 | 36.97 | 9,565 | 29.72 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime in West Bedlington Compared To Northumberland
West Bedlington Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaton Valley | 1,020 | 63.22 | 26% safer |
| Alnwick | 542 | 67.94 | 17% safer |
| Choppington | 651 | 68.46 | 16% safer |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | 912 | 74.99 | 6% safer |
| Morpeth | 1,126 | 76.36 | 4.4% safer |
| West Bedlington | 804 | 79.69 | - |
| East Bedlington | 1,114 | 130.75 | 39% more dangerous |
West Bedlington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 55 | 46 | 37 | 53 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.50 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 19 | 18 | 19 | 12 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.89 | 2.0 | 0.59 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.30 | 1.1 | 0.79 | 0.59 | Safer |
| Public Order | 13 | 15 | 17 | 11 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.30 | 0.89 | 0.59 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.4 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 41 | 38 | 38 | 37 | Safer |
Changes In West Bedlington's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing West Bedlington to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 18% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 2.9% safer |
| West Bedlington | 79.69 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 8% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 18% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 23% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 40% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 42% more dangerous |
Crime in West Bedlington's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedlington Town | 672 | 79 | First |
Crime in West Bedlington During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in West Bedlington change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when West Bedlington saw a 540% increase in anti-social behaviour. West Bedlington saw a large fall in other theft during November, when it fell by 89% compared to November in 2019. Criminal Damage and Arson saw a fall in every month of West Bedlington's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -63% | +71% | +92% | +53% | -54% | +408% | +38% | +167% | +74% | +540% |
| Burglary | -17% | -42% | -29% | - | - | -80% | - | -75% | -50% | -56% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -33% | -52% | -78% | -17% | -41% | +143% | -27% | -10% | -71% | -62% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | -20% | - | - |
| Other Theft | - | +75% | -13% | +13% | - | -20% | -33% | -50% | -89% | -86% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | -67% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -72% | -18% | -59% | -8% | +110% | -24% | -15% | - | -45% | -86% |
| Shoplifting | - | +200% | -67% | +67% | +100% | -88% | -67% | -67% | +33% | -40% |
| Vehicle Crime | -67% | -75% | +50% | +233% | +300% | +50% | - | - | -50% | -83% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +6% | -17% | -21% | +16% | +189% | +18% | -20% | -24% | -7% | -21% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in West Bedlington
What police force serves West Bedlington?
West Bedlington's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is West Bedlington?
West Bedlington is the second most dangerous small town in Northumberland.What is West Bedlington's most common crime?
The most common crimes in West Bedlington are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in West Bedlington?
West Bedlington's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021