Crime in Morpeth
Recorded crime in Morpeth is 1.3 times the Northumberland average and 1.1 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 Morpeth: about 11,470 residents in 12 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −18%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.3×the Northumberland average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Morpeth.
Crime over 5 years
Down 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Morpeth, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the Northumberland average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 94 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 71% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 71% 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: 23 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Northumberland (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Northumberland council area, not only Morpeth. 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 | 297 | 0.90 | Up 12% |
| Cars broken into | 391 | 1.2 | Up 4% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 2,157 | 6.5 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 516 | 1.6 | Down 7% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in NE61
In NE61, the postcode district at the centre of Morpeth, 5% 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) | 1,296 | 3% | 2% | 0% | 24% | 71% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 350 | 2% | 3% | 0% | 55% | 41% |
| Public order | 296 | 1% | 2% | 0% | 29% | 68% |
| Shoplifting | 226 | 20% | 2% | 0% | 66% | 12% |
| Other theft | 202 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 71% | 28% |
| Burglary | 123 | 5% | 0% | 0% | 82% | 13% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 113 | 10% | 0% | 0% | 83% | 7% |
| Other crime | 76 | 7% | 0% | 0% | 34% | 59% |
| Drugs | 71 | 15% | 7% | 0% | 13% | 65% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 53% 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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 4.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 39.5 |
| Drugs | 1.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.4 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 8.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.8 |
| Public order | 11.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 9.2 |
Postcode districts in Morpeth
Nearby towns
Council: Northumberland
Questions about crime in Morpeth
- Is Morpeth a safe place to live?
- Morpeth scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.3 times the Northumberland average.
- Is crime going up or down in Morpeth?
- Down 18% over 5 years, from 1,177 recorded crimes a year to 968.
- What is the most common crime in Morpeth?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Morpeth compare with Northumberland?
- Crime severity in Morpeth is 1.3 times the Northumberland average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Morpeth?
- In NE61, the postcode district at the centre of Morpeth, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 40% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Morpeth?
- Of 123 burglaries reported in NE61, the postcode district at the centre of Morpeth between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 82% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Morpeth?
- In Northumberland, the council area Morpeth is in, the police recorded 297 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.9 per 1,000 residents, up 12% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Morpeth?
- 2,157 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Northumberland, the council area Morpeth is in, 6.5 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Morpeth last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Northumberland, the council area Morpeth is in, against 2 the year before.