Oswestry is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Shropshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Shropshire's 215 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Oswestry in 2021 was 72 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Shropshire's overall crime rate, coming in 13% higher than the Shropshire rate of 62 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Oswestry is the 241st most dangerous small town, and the 1,469th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Oswestry had the worst crime rate in Shropshire for robbery, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.11 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2021 was also a bad month for Oswestry residents, when it was Shropshire's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.16 per 1,000 residents. Oswestry recorded 6 reports of other crime during May 2020, making its crime rate of 0.33 the worst for other crime in Shropshire that month.
The most common crimes in Oswestry are violence and sexual offences, with 649 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 36. This is 10% higher than 2020's figure of 583 offences and a difference of 3.63 from 2020's crime rate of 32. Oswestry's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 7 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 14% from 2020's figure of 6 crimes.
Top 10 Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Shropshire
24% lower, regional crime rate
West Midlands
7% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Oswestry is 24% lower than the West Midlands and 7% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Oswestry | |
| West Midlands | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Oswestry represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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 visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 72 | 1,306 |
| 2020 | 69 | 1,252 |
| 2019 | 77 | 1,399 |
| 2018 | 80 | 1,463 |
| 2017 | 71 | 1,294 |
| 2016 | 78 | 1,419 |
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| Oswestry | Shropshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 699 | 38.37 | 15,973 | 31.72 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 0.38 | 245 | 0.49 | 29% safer |
| Burglary | 45 | 2.47 | 1,611 | 3.20 | 30% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 153 | 8.40 | 3,175 | 6.31 | 25% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 30 | 1.65 | 825 | 1.64 | 0.61% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 24 | 1.32 | 576 | 1.14 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 112 | 6.15 | 2,453 | 4.87 | 21% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 10 | 0.55 | 320 | 0.64 | 16% safer |
| Public Order | 83 | 4.56 | 2,479 | 4.92 | 8% safer |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.71 | 202 | 0.40 | 44% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 132 | 7.25 | 2,331 | 4.63 | 36% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 9 | 0.49 | 122 | 0.24 | 51% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 39 | 2.14 | 1,492 | 2.96 | 38% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 649 | 35.63 | 15,604 | 30.99 | 13% more dangerous |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shifnal | 497 | 57.64 | 24% safer |
| St Georges and Priorslee | 681 | 58.13 | 23% safer |
| Ludlow | 603 | 58.70 | 22% safer |
| Market Drayton | 729 | 59.14 | 21% safer |
| Lilleshall, Donnington and Muxton | 1,082 | 68.56 | 4.6% safer |
| Oswestry | 1,306 | 71.69 | - |
| Hadley & Leegomery | 1,189 | 75.59 | 5% more dangerous |
| Oakengates | 731 | 81.11 | 12% more dangerous |
| Wellington | 2,206 | 99.95 | 28% more dangerous |
| Stirchley and Brookside | 1,156 | 109.59 | 35% more dangerous |
| Great Dawley | 1,471 | 121.89 | 41% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ardmillan Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Chapel Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Morda Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Hampton Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Glovers Meadow | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Fitzalan Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Weston Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Maes-Y-Clawdd | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Findon Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Gate Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Theft from the person | On or near Nightclub | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Beech Grove | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Cherry Tree Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Cross Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 44 | 35 | 23 | 38 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.44 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.38 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.55 | 0.93 | 0.82 | 0.55 | Safer |
| Public Order | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.71 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.77 | 0.49 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 34 | 32 | 36 | Getting worse |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 7% safer |
| Oswestry | 71.69 | - |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 13% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 21% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 30% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 36% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 42% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 53% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oswestry East | 493 | 48 | Second |
| Oswestry West | 881 | 88 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Oswestry change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Oswestry saw a 400% increase in public order. Oswestry saw a large fall in burglary during May, when it fell by 83% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +33% | +70% | +36% | +56% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -75% | - | -83% | - | -17% | -40% | -70% | -67% | - | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -20% | -61% | -23% | -17% | +108% | +10% | +38% | +44% | -26% | - |
| Drugs | -60% | -60% | +33% | - | +100% | -50% | - | - | +100% | +33% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +100% | - | +50% | - | - | -25% | -80% | - |
| Other Theft | -8% | -31% | -56% | -29% | -73% | -62% | +29% | - | -27% | +86% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | -67% | -50% | +100% | - | - | -75% | - | - |
| Public Order | +67% | -71% | +400% | -33% | -22% | -57% | -80% | +25% | +43% | - |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -27% | -77% | -69% | -33% | -19% | +13% | +67% | -22% | -57% | +11% |
| Theft From the Person | -67% | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -75% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -11% | -40% | -33% | +100% | -60% | -50% | - | -33% | +300% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -42% | -41% | - | +14% | +25% | +3% | -19% | +25% | -18% | -45% |
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