Ashford Crime Overview
Ashford is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Surrey, and is the 32nd most dangerous overall out of Surrey's 105 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ashford in 2020 was 63 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Surrey's overall crime rate, coming in 20% higher than the Surrey rate of 50 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ashford is the 77th safest medium-sized town, and the 1,851st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2017, Ashford had the worst crime rate in Surrey for robbery, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.10 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Ashford are violence and sexual offences, with 642 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 13% higher than 2019's figure of 561 offences and a difference of 2.80 from 2019's crime rate of 19. Ashford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 50% from 2019's figure of 9 crimes.
Compare Ashford to other towns and cities
See how Ashford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Ashford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Ashford Crime Map
Crime in Ashford Compared To Surrey
Summary of Crimes in Ashford This Year
| Ashford | Surrey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 690 | 23.91 | 24,963 | 20.88 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 29 | 1.00 | 1,268 | 1.06 | 6% safer |
| Burglary | 178 | 6.17 | 3,650 | 3.05 | 51% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 191 | 6.62 | 7,322 | 6.12 | 8% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 109 | 3.78 | 2,771 | 2.32 | 39% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 48 | 1.66 | 1,339 | 1.12 | 33% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 112 | 3.88 | 4,935 | 4.13 | 6% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 16 | 0.55 | 533 | 0.45 | 18% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 180 | 6.24 | 7,521 | 6.29 | 0.80% safer |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.31 | 369 | 0.31 | 0% safer |
| Shoplifting | 66 | 2.29 | 2,947 | 2.46 | 7% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.21 | 364 | 0.30 | 43% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 238 | 8.25 | 4,929 | 4.12 | 50% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 642 | 22.24 | 22,380 | 18.72 | 16% more dangerous |
Ashford Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leatherhead | 1,704 | 51.76 | 22% safer |
| Ewell | 2,839 | 51.79 | 22% safer |
| Horley | 1,364 | 52.93 | 19% safer |
| Camberley | 2,231 | 55.98 | 13% safer |
| Weybridge | 1,754 | 57.88 | 9% safer |
| Ashford | 1,824 | 63.20 | - |
| Egham | 1,881 | 64.11 | 1.4% more dangerous |
| Redhill | 2,461 | 65.70 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Epsom | 2,509 | 71.86 | 12% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Ashford
View crime percentage over time forAshford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 17 | 16 | 24 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.42 | 0.35 | 0.49 | 0.55 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.49 | 0.28 | 0.45 | 0.31 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.31 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | Getting worse |
Changes In Ashford's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Ashford's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Ashford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Recreation Ground | 5 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2.3 |
| Echelforde Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2.6 |
| St Matthew's Church | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 7 |
Comparing Ashford to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 63.20 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 7% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 18% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 35% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 39% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 41% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 52% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 54% more dangerous |
Crime in Ashford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford Common | 455 | 53 | Second |
| Ashford East | 450 | 51 | Third |
| Ashford West | 852 | 78 | First |
Crime in Ashford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Ashford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Ashford saw a 1,200% increase in shoplifting. Ashford saw a large fall in bicycle theft during October, when it fell by 86% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -44% | +258% | +134% | +11% | +48% | -6% | -11% | -6% | +159% | +283% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | -63% | -33% | -60% | -71% | - | -86% | +67% | -40% |
| Burglary | +100% | -38% | +29% | +117% | -60% | -29% | +75% | +19% | -4% | -67% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -57% | -38% | -41% | -24% | -24% | -27% | +50% | -40% | -26% | +33% |
| Drugs | +233% | +50% | +500% | +100% | +14% | +80% | +200% | - | - | +17% |
| Other Crime | - | +100% | -17% | +200% | - | -25% | - | -50% | +150% | -33% |
| Other Theft | -60% | -75% | -8% | +8% | -44% | - | -38% | -73% | -38% | -59% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | -67% | +100% | - | +50% |
| Public Order | -44% | -14% | +143% | +67% | -11% | -20% | +24% | -48% | -24% | +100% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -50% | +11% | -67% | +300% | +1,200% | +14% | -71% | +100% | - | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +4% | +71% | +92% | -50% | +71% | -48% | -41% | -25% | -17% | -6% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +20% | +8% | +22% | +10% | +21% | -19% | +67% | +11% | +4% | +13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ashford
What police force serves Ashford?
Ashford's local territorial police force is the Surrey Police.How dangerous is Ashford?
Ashford is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Surrey.What is Ashford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Ashford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Ashford?
Ashford's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021