Middlesbrough has been named the most dangerous place to live in England and Wales for 2026, according to Home Office figures. The town, which once sought city status, now tops the crime rankings with a rate of 150 offences per 1,000 residents, overtaking Blackpool.
Blackpool had held the highest crime rate as of December 2025, but a 4% drop in crime there, combined with a 1% rise in Middlesbrough, pushed the North East town to the top. Over the past 12 months, 23,419 crimes were recorded in Middlesbrough.
Regional crime rates
Blackpool now ranks second with 146 crimes per 1,000 residents. Manchester is third with 143, followed by Hartlepool (134) and Bristol (131). The data covers all of England and Wales, excluding central London, which is ranked separately.
London overall has a crime rate of 102 offences per 1,000 people, but figures are skewed by high tourist numbers in central boroughs. Westminster recorded 355 crimes per 1,000 residents, largely driven by theft. Camden (180) and Kensington and Chelsea (146) also have high rates.
Crime trends and safest areas
The Home Office figures show increases in some serious offences: sexual offences and stalking/harassment both rose by 4%, robbery by 10%, drug crime by 12%, and possession of weapons by 8%. However, the general trend of falling crime over the past decade continued, with 5.2 million non-fraud offences recorded in the year ending March 2026 – a 1% drop from the previous year.
Broadland in Norfolk remains the safest place to live in mainland England and Wales, with a crime rate of just 35 offences per 1,000 residents.
