Crime in Middlesbrough
Recorded crime in Middlesbrough is 2.1 times the Middlesbrough council average and 4.0 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 18%. 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 Middlesbrough: about 23,511 residents in 20 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- −18%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.1×the Middlesbrough council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Middlesbrough.
Crime over 5 years
Down 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Middlesbrough, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.1× the Middlesbrough council average (4.0× the England and Wales average). 318 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 55% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 12% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 96 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Middlesbrough (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Middlesbrough council area, not only the town of Middlesbrough. 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 | 311 | 2.0 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 572 | 3.7 | Down 28% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 2,544 | 16.3 | Up 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 625 | 4.0 | Down 17% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in TS1
In TS1, the postcode district at the centre of Middlesbrough, 18% 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) | 2,250 | 12% | 2% | 61% | 23% | 2% |
| Public order | 638 | 21% | 0% | 43% | 34% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 525 | 42% | 1% | 24% | 33% | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 482 | 12% | 1% | 24% | 62% | 1% |
| Other theft | 362 | 4% | 0% | 29% | 66% | 2% |
| Drugs | 291 | 52% | 16% | 21% | 8% | 3% |
| Burglary | 241 | 17% | 1% | 21% | 61% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 239 | 10% | 0% | 17% | 73% | 0% |
| Other crime | 194 | 15% | 1% | 51% | 18% | 15% |
| Robbery | 171 | 15% | 1% | 49% | 35% | 1% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 77 | 65% | 4% | 25% | 5% | 1% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 75 | 3% | 0% | 19% | 77% | 1% |
| Bicycle theft | 55 | 2% | 0% | 11% | 85% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% 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 | 7.0 |
| Burglary | 19.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 112.0 |
| Drugs | 16.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 3.5 |
| Other crime | 7.9 |
| Other theft | 24.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 5.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 16.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 31.7 |
| Public order | 31.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 5.0 |
| Shoplifting | 37.9 |
Postcode districts in Middlesbrough
Nearby towns
Council: Middlesbrough
Questions about crime in Middlesbrough
- Is Middlesbrough a safe place to live?
- Middlesbrough scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.1 times the Middlesbrough council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Middlesbrough?
- Down 18% over 5 years, from 8,836 recorded crimes a year to 7,212.
- What is the most common crime in Middlesbrough?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 112 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Middlesbrough compare with Middlesbrough council?
- Crime severity in Middlesbrough is 2.1 times the Middlesbrough council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Middlesbrough?
- In TS1, the postcode district at the centre of Middlesbrough, 18% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 36% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Middlesbrough?
- Of 241 burglaries reported in TS1, the postcode district at the centre of Middlesbrough between September 2024 and August 2025, 17% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 61% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Middlesbrough?
- In the Middlesbrough council area, the police recorded 311 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.0 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Middlesbrough?
- 2,544 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Middlesbrough council area, 16.3 per 1,000 residents, 3.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Middlesbrough last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Middlesbrough council area, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.