Crime and Safety in Gateshead
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Gateshead is the second safest major town in Tyne & Wear, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Tyne & Wear's 28 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Gateshead in 2026 is 74 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Tyne & Wear's overall crime rate, coming in 3.4% lower than the Tyne & Wear rate of 76 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Gateshead is among the top 20 safest major towns, and the 2,355th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2019, Gateshead had the worst crime rate in Tyne & Wear for robbery, with 17 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.09 per 1,000 daytime population. August 2018 was also a bad month for Gateshead residents, when it was again Tyne & Wear's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 18 crimes at a rate of 0.09 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Gateshead are violence and sexual offences, with 5,718 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 15% lower than 2025's figure of 6,710 offences and a difference of 4.87 from 2025's crime rate of 33. Gateshead's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 71 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 5% from 2025's figure of 75 crimes.
Gateshead 2026 Crime Scorecard
Second Safest
Major Towns, Tyne & Wear
13% lower, regional crime rate
North East
2.3% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Gateshead is 13% lower than the North East and 2.3% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Gateshead Crime Rate Over Time
| Gateshead | |
| North East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Gateshead Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Gateshead represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
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 visualise the data you need.
See How Gateshead Compares
You can compare Gateshead's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Gateshead's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Gateshead up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Gateshead's 4,693 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Gateshead? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Gateshead • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Gateshead has a crime risk score of 495. This is based on analysis of 4,693 nearby areas within Gateshead, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Gateshead's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Gateshead, crime risk scores are typically around 495, while in Tyne & Wear they are average 515.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 559 (576 for Tyne & Wear), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 606 (Tyne & Wear 622).
Trends in Crime Risk
Gateshead
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates a decrease of 29% in Gateshead's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Gateshead's crime risk score is down by 27%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Gateshead's crime risk score has shown a downward trend of approximately 25%, indicating that the risk profile is going down. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Gateshead
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Gateshead • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Shoplifting offences have a crime rate of 9.33 reports per 1,000 people in Gateshead, which is 1.31 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 1,901 crime reports logged by Northumbria Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Northumbria Police recorded 1,671 reports of Criminal Damage and Arson in Gateshead, resulting in a crime rate of 8.19 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.30.
The crime rate for Burglary is 1.18 times the national average at 3.68 reports per 1,000. This is from 751 crime reports reported to Northumbria Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Gateshead
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Robbery offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.10 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Robbery CrimeRate Index was 0.78 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 41% over this timeframe.
Burglary offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.46 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 1.03 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 42% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Gateshead
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Violence and Sexual Offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.73 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Violence and Sexual Offences CrimeRate Index was 1.28 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 43% over this timeframe.
Shoplifting offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.21 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 1.50 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 19% over this timeframe.
Vehicle Crime offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.80 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Vehicle Crime CrimeRate Index was 1.36 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 41% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Gateshead • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Gateshead | Tyne & Wear | North East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,478 | 17.03 | 1.21 | 23,059 | 17.10 | 1.21 | 60,647 | 19.76 | 1.40 |
| Bicycle Theft | 71 | 0.32 | 0.44 | 710 | 0.54 | 0.74 | 1,566 | 0.51 | 0.70 |
| Burglary | 751 | 3.68 | 1.18 | 5,081 | 3.77 | 1.20 | 12,568 | 4.10 | 1.31 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,671 | 8.19 | 1.30 | 11,024 | 8.17 | 1.30 | 31,671 | 10.32 | 1.64 |
| Drugs | 427 | 2.09 | 0.68 | 2,980 | 2.21 | 0.72 | 7,960 | 2.59 | 0.84 |
| Other Crime | 691 | 3.39 | 1.83 | 4,262 | 3.16 | 1.71 | 10,427 | 3.40 | 1.84 |
| Other Theft | 1,102 | 5.38 | 0.95 | 7,032 | 5.20 | 0.91 | 16,082 | 5.24 | 0.92 |
| Possession of Weapons | 139 | 0.66 | 0.78 | 1,082 | 0.79 | 0.93 | 2,627 | 0.84 | 0.99 |
| Public Order | 1,389 | 6.82 | 1.18 | 9,204 | 6.82 | 1.18 | 22,100 | 7.21 | 1.24 |
| Robbery | 256 | 1.24 | 1.05 | 1,813 | 1.35 | 1.14 | 3,786 | 1.23 | 1.04 |
| Shoplifting | 1,901 | 9.33 | 1.31 | 14,098 | 10.46 | 1.47 | 33,748 | 10.99 | 1.54 |
| Theft From the Person | 106 | 0.50 | 0.32 | 824 | 0.61 | 0.39 | 1,449 | 0.47 | 0.30 |
| Vehicle Crime | 826 | 4.05 | 0.94 | 4,898 | 3.61 | 0.84 | 11,617 | 3.77 | 0.88 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,718 | 28.02 | 0.92 | 39,832 | 29.55 | 0.97 | 104,999 | 34.22 | 1.13 |
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Total Crime by Year
Gateshead | Tyne & Wear | North East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 15,048 | 73.67 | 1.02 | 102,840 | 76.24 | 1.06 | 260,600 | 84.89 | 1.18 |
| 2025 | 17,136 | 84.28 | 1.14 | 117,105 | 87.13 | 1.18 | 272,201 | 89.21 | 1.21 |
| 2024 | 17,847 | 88.43 | 1.17 | 120,036 | 90.33 | 1.20 | 285,067 | 94.47 | 1.25 |
| 2023 | 18,115 | 90.83 | 1.15 | 121,430 | 92.52 | 1.17 | 295,603 | 99.04 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 17,169 | 87.30 | 1.14 | 116,049 | 89.56 | 1.17 | 273,599 | 93.03 | 1.21 |
| 2021 | 16,797 | 85.37 | 1.25 | 107,826 | 83.61 | 1.22 | 250,848 | 85.95 | 1.25 |
| 2020 | 18,288 | 92.54 | 1.25 | 122,585 | 94.98 | 1.28 | 276,026 | 94.68 | 1.28 |
| 2019 | 20,186 | 101.57 | 1.33 | 139,523 | 108.10 | 1.42 | 298,335 | 102.44 | 1.34 |
| 2018 | 19,726 | 98.43 | 1.38 | 134,395 | 104.16 | 1.46 | 280,195 | 96.33 | 1.35 |
| 2017 | 16,820 | 83.41 | 1.30 | 108,660 | 84.25 | 1.32 | 226,807 | 78.00 | 1.22 |
| 2016 | 4,671 | 23.12 | 1.21 | 31,151 | 24.16 | 1.27 | 66,798 | 22.96 | 1.20 |
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Gateshead Compared to Nearby Major Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Shields | 7,695 | 99.68 | 35% more dangerous |
| Sunderland | 23,684 | 78.75 | 7% more dangerous |
| Tynemouth | 5,570 | 74.97 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| Gateshead | 15,048 | 73.67 | - |
| Washington | 3,729 | 69.92 | 5% safer |
Comparing Gateshead to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Gateshead | 73.67 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 8% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 12% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 14% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 33% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 42% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 43% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 45% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 45% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 46% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 70% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
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You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Gateshead's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Gateshead that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derwenthaugh Country Park | 15 | 1 | 4 | - | 8 | 26 |
| Bill Quay Community Farm | 7 | - | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| Axwell Park | 24 | 2 | 8 | - | 31 | 18 |
| Windmill Hills | 11 | 1 | 6 | - | 14 | 24 |
| Avondale Park | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | 11 | 21 |
| Leam Rangers Football Club | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
| Church Green | 35 | - | 4 | 1 | 6 | 16 |
| St Mary's Green | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Ryton Willows | 4 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 0 |
| Derwent Walk Country Park | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Stoneygate Community Play Park | 16 | 1 | 9 | - | 26 | 15 |
| Eslington Pavillion | 4 | 1 | - | - | 9 | 6 |
| North Durham Cricket and Rugby Ground | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | 6 | 12 |
| Argyle Estate Play Area | 9 | - | - | - | 5 | 15 |
| The Phoenix Centre | 3 | - | - | - | 5 | 6 |
| Draughts' Garden | 13 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 24 | 20 |
| Strathmore Allotments | 3 | 3 | - | - | 4 | 4 |
| Carr Hill Recreation Ground | 2 | - | 2 | - | 5 | 9 |
| Saltwell Road Allotments | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 |
| Albert Park | 1 | - | 2 | - | 3 | 3 |
| Breckenbeds Park | 7 | - | 4 | - | 14 | 9 |
| Mossheap Recreation Ground | 3 | 2 | 4 | - | 21 | 13 |
| Whitehills Allotments | 14 | 1 | 2 | - | 17 | 9 |
| Felling Cricket Club | 3 | - | 3 | - | 9 | 3 |
| Calderwood Park | 13 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 |
| Garden House Recreation Park | 10 | - | 2 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
| Shibdon Park | 3 | - | 1 | - | 6 | 14 |
| Blaydon Cemetery | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 13 | 22 |
| Chopwell Park | 9 | - | - | - | 7 | 0 |
| High Spen Park | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Hallgarth Hall Park | 38 | - | 2 | - | 18 | 120 |
| Derwent Park | 9 | 1 | 2 | - | 6 | 4 |
| Swalwell Park | 8 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 17 |
| Chase Park | 49 | - | 7 | 1 | 9 | 21 |
| Eslington Park | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | 18 | 16 |
| Sandown Allotments | - | 1 | 1 | - | 11 | 19 |
| Beggars Wood Recreation Area | 7 | 1 | 3 | - | 18 | 7 |
| South Ferndene Park | 11 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 95 |
| Larch Gardens | 3 | - | 1 | - | 6 | 7 |
| Blaydon Cricket Ground | - | - | - | - | 10 | 6 |
| Chopwell Centre for Sport | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 |
| Bleach Green | 24 | 1 | 6 | - | 36 | 36 |
| Smailes Lane Recreation Ground | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| Pipe Bridge Recreation Ground | 21 | - | 2 | - | 19 | 15 |
| Blaydon Rugby Club | 6 | 2 | 3 | - | 3 | 6 |
| Garden House Cemetery | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 |
| Beechgrove Allotments | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 |
| Whitegate Allotments | 5 | - | 1 | - | 8 | 6 |
| Riverside Park | 21 | 2 | 6 | - | 22 | 20 |
| Riverside Park | 63 | 4 | 24 | - | 60 | 64 |
| Oxberry Gardens | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Hodkin Park | 8 | - | 8 | 3 | 19 | 27 |
| King Georges Field | 8 | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| Wardley Welfare Ground | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | 10 |
| Oliver Henderson Park | 30 | 3 | 19 | - | 24 | 20 |
| Heartlands Allotments | 21 | - | 6 | - | 14 | 18 |
| Lakeland Park | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Windmill Hills Meadow | 18 | 4 | - | - | 18 | 40 |
| Watergate Forest Park | 4 | - | - | - | 11 | 7 |
Recent Crimes in Gateshead
The 20 most recent crime reports in Gateshead.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Farm Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Rectory Lane | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Yetholm Road | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Perry Street | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Fern Dene Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near St Edmund'S Road | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Fern Dene Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Yetholm Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Yetholm Road |
Methodology & Data Sources
Gateshead Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Gateshead during July 2026 will typically become available in September 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Gateshead Data Points
For Gateshead, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E43000229.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Gateshead's daytime - or "workday" - population of 194,258 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Gateshead