Crime in Axminster
Recorded crime in Axminster is 1.4 times the East Devon average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 34%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Axminster: about 6,951 residents in 6 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 5.6/10Fair
- 5-year change
- +34%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the East Devon average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Axminster.
Crime over 5 years
Up 34% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Axminster, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the East Devon average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 52 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 72% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 18 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in East Devon (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole East Devon partnership area, not only Axminster. Figures for the East and Mid Devon community safety partnership, which covers East Devon and Mid Devon. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 150 | 0.62 | Up 20% |
| Cars broken into | 130 | 0.53 | Up 23% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 752 | 3.1 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 179 | 0.74 | Down 27% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in EX13
In EX13, the postcode district at the centre of Axminster, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 356 | 4% | 3% | 79% | 7% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 78 | 10% | 4% | 46% | 38% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 65 | 25% | 0% | 31% | 40% | 5% |
| Public order | 52 | 2% | 10% | 73% | 12% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.1 |
| Burglary | 2.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 24.5 |
| Drugs | 1.8 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 3.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.8 |
| Public order | 3.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 4.5 |
Postcode districts in Axminster
Nearby towns
Council: East Devon
Questions about crime in Axminster
- Is Axminster a safe place to live?
- Axminster scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the East Devon average.
- Is crime going up or down in Axminster?
- Up 34% over 5 years, from 314 recorded crimes a year to 421.
- What is the most common crime in Axminster?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Axminster compare with East Devon?
- Crime severity in Axminster is 1.4 times the East Devon average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Axminster?
- In EX13, the postcode district at the centre of Axminster, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 19% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Axminster?
- In 2025/26, in the East and Mid Devon partnership area, which includes Axminster, the police recorded 150 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.6 per 1,000 residents, up 20% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Axminster?
- 752 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the East and Mid Devon partnership area, which includes Axminster, 3.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Axminster last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the East and Mid Devon partnership area, which includes Axminster, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.