Crime in Oswestry
Recorded crime in Oswestry is 1.4 times the Shropshire average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 20%. 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 Oswestry: about 16,838 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 5.9/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −20%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Shropshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Oswestry.
Crime over 5 years
Down 20% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Oswestry, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Shropshire average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 79 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 71% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% 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: 31 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Shropshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Shropshire council area, not only Oswestry. 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 | 256 | 0.77 | Down 25% |
| Cars broken into | 193 | 0.58 | Down 10% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,044 | 3.1 | Down 9% |
| Burglary of homes | 328 | 0.99 | Down 3% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 4 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SY11
In SY11, the postcode district at the centre of Oswestry, 4% 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) | 836 | 4% | 2% | 77% | 7% | 9% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 190 | 3% | 3% | 45% | 44% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 164 | 9% | 2% | 27% | 58% | 4% |
| Other theft | 155 | 0% | 1% | 43% | 51% | 5% |
| Public order | 155 | 3% | 1% | 69% | 21% | 6% |
| Drugs | 54 | 9% | 15% | 11% | 37% | 28% |
| Burglary | 50 | 2% | 2% | 30% | 64% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 8% 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 | 0.6 |
| Burglary | 3.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 34.6 |
| Drugs | 2.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 7.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 9.1 |
| Public order | 5.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.5 |
| Shoplifting | 11.0 |
Postcode districts in Oswestry
Nearby towns
Council: Shropshire
Questions about crime in Oswestry
- Is Oswestry a safe place to live?
- Oswestry scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Shropshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Oswestry?
- Down 20% over 5 years, from 1,483 recorded crimes a year to 1,191.
- What is the most common crime in Oswestry?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 35 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Oswestry compare with Shropshire?
- Crime severity in Oswestry is 1.4 times the Shropshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Oswestry?
- In SY11, the postcode district at the centre of Oswestry, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 26% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Oswestry?
- Of 50 burglaries reported in SY11, the postcode district at the centre of Oswestry between September 2024 and August 2025, 2% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 64% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Oswestry?
- In Shropshire, the council area Oswestry is in, the police recorded 256 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 25% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Oswestry?
- 1,044 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Shropshire, the council area Oswestry is in, 3.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Oswestry last year?
- 4 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Shropshire, the council area Oswestry is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.