Crime in Widnes
Recorded crime in Widnes is 1.7 times the Halton average and 2.0 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 11%. 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 Widnes: about 14,746 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.5/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −11%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.7×the Halton average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Widnes.
Crime over 5 years
Down 11% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Widnes, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.7× the Halton average (2.0× the England and Wales average). 172 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 70% 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: 41 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Halton (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Halton council area, not only Widnes. 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 | 185 | 1.4 | Up 3% |
| Cars broken into | 108 | 0.82 | Down 22% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 603 | 4.6 | Down 10% |
| Burglary of homes | 200 | 1.5 | Down 26% |
| 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 WA8
In WA8, the postcode district at the centre of Widnes, 13% 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) | 2,594 | 11% | 7% | 63% | 13% | 5% |
| Public order | 622 | 11% | 4% | 52% | 29% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 410 | 10% | 7% | 25% | 55% | 3% |
| Other theft | 320 | 4% | 1% | 25% | 63% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 275 | 29% | 5% | 11% | 53% | 3% |
| Drugs | 268 | 29% | 50% | 11% | 4% | 5% |
| Burglary | 187 | 5% | 0% | 20% | 72% | 3% |
| Other crime | 160 | 20% | 5% | 59% | 10% | 6% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 138 | 4% | 0% | 11% | 80% | 5% |
| Robbery | 58 | 17% | 3% | 50% | 29% | 0% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 54 | 35% | 2% | 41% | 20% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 1.2 |
| Burglary | 6.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 71.3 |
| Drugs | 6.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.6 |
| Other crime | 3.6 |
| Other theft | 11.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.0 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 16.7 |
| Public order | 27.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.7 |
| Shoplifting | 17.1 |
Postcode districts in Widnes
Nearby towns
Council: Halton
Questions about crime in Widnes
- Is Widnes a safe place to live?
- Widnes scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.7 times the Halton average.
- Is crime going up or down in Widnes?
- Down 11% over 5 years, from 2,489 recorded crimes a year to 2,221.
- What is the most common crime in Widnes?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 71 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Widnes compare with Halton?
- Crime severity in Widnes is 1.7 times the Halton average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Widnes?
- In WA8, the postcode district at the centre of Widnes, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 28% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Widnes?
- Of 187 burglaries reported in WA8, the postcode district at the centre of Widnes between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 72% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Widnes?
- In Halton, the council area Widnes is in, the police recorded 185 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.4 per 1,000 residents, up 3% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Widnes?
- 603 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Halton, the council area Widnes is in, 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Widnes last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Halton, the council area Widnes is in, against 0 the year before.