Crime in Gainsborough
Recorded crime in Gainsborough is 2.3 times the West Lindsey average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 10%. 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 Gainsborough: about 17,774 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 7.5/10Good
- 5-year change
- −10%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.3×the West Lindsey average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Gainsborough.
Crime over 5 years
Down 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Gainsborough, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.3× the West Lindsey average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 146 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 61% of the harm here
- Burglary: 19% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 61% 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: 45 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in West Lindsey (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole West Lindsey council area, not only Gainsborough. 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 | 120 | 1.2 | Up 15% |
| Cars broken into | 77 | 0.78 | Down 17% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 382 | 3.9 | Down 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 148 | 1.5 | Down 16% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in DN21
In DN21, the postcode district at the centre of Gainsborough, 8% 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) | 1,729 | 4% | 5% | 76% | 11% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 598 | 4% | 1% | 28% | 66% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 437 | 28% | 2% | 32% | 38% | 0% |
| Public order | 304 | 12% | 2% | 61% | 22% | 3% |
| Other theft | 253 | 2% | 1% | 26% | 67% | 4% |
| Burglary | 242 | 4% | 0% | 24% | 70% | 2% |
| Other crime | 143 | 5% | 3% | 66% | 13% | 12% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 134 | 4% | 1% | 17% | 72% | 5% |
| Drugs | 99 | 20% | 17% | 37% | 20% | 5% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 3% 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 | 1.3 |
| Burglary | 11.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 54.5 |
| Drugs | 3.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.6 |
| Other crime | 3.6 |
| Other theft | 10.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 22.4 |
| Public order | 10.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.4 |
| Shoplifting | 19.0 |
Postcode districts in Gainsborough
Nearby towns
Council: West Lindsey
Questions about crime in Gainsborough
- Is Gainsborough a safe place to live?
- Gainsborough scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.3 times the West Lindsey average.
- Is crime going up or down in Gainsborough?
- Down 10% over 5 years, from 2,936 recorded crimes a year to 2,638.
- What is the most common crime in Gainsborough?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 55 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Gainsborough compare with West Lindsey?
- Crime severity in Gainsborough is 2.3 times the West Lindsey average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Gainsborough?
- In DN21, the postcode district at the centre of Gainsborough, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 33% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Gainsborough?
- Of 242 burglaries reported in DN21, the postcode district at the centre of Gainsborough between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 70% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Gainsborough?
- In West Lindsey, the council area Gainsborough is in, the police recorded 120 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, up 15% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Gainsborough?
- 382 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in West Lindsey, the council area Gainsborough is in, 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Gainsborough last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in West Lindsey, the council area Gainsborough is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.