Stories like this reduce Blackpool to a stereotype, but our town has huge pride, resilience and ambition

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has said that recent negative coverage of Blackpool in national outlets ‘doesn’t reflect the reality of day-to-day life’ in the town, adding that cheap criticism reduces Blackpool to ‘a stereotype’.

Speaking off the back of a GB News article which labelled Blackpool as Britain's violent crime capital, where “one in 20 people” have been affected by incidents in the past year alone, Chris Webb MP hit back, saying the statistics need ‘proper context’.

According to police figures, there were approximately 69 offences per 1,000 inhabitants during 2025, but numerous authorities including Blackpool Council and Chris Webb MP himself have pointed out that such numbers fail to take into consideration the vast number of tourists who visit Blackpool on a regular basis.

‘That’s the real Blackpool and I’m proud to represent it’

“Headlines like this don’t reflect the reality of day-to-day life in Blackpool which is a welcoming, family-friendly town with a strong community spirit,” said Chris Webb MP. “We do face challenges with crime but these statistics also need proper context – we’re one of the country’s biggest tourist destinations with huge numbers of visitors coming through the town every year.

“I’m already looking into the statistics further with Lancashire Police because, from my close work with them and from what I hear regularly in local PACT meetings, crime in many areas has actually been reducing.

“I delivered on my promise to local people for more visible neighbourhood policing in every ward in Blackpool and we’re now seeing the benefits of that work. Lancashire Police have dedicated teams across the town working incredibly hard every day on prevention, community engagement and tackling crime head on.

“Serious violence has a devastating impact wherever it happens and tackling it requires everyone pulling together – police, the council, health services, youth services and communities. That’s why we’ve got to keep investing in young people, opportunities and prevention as well as policing.

“Stories like this reduce Blackpool to a stereotype but our town has huge pride, resilience and ambition. We’ve got brilliant cultural organisations, thriving community groups and beautiful natural assets. That’s the real Blackpool and I’m proud to represent it.”

What the council said

Cllr Paula Burdess, cabinet member for community safety, neighbourhoods and street scene, added: “Incident rates in Blackpool are higher per capita, due in part to the millions of visitors we welcome to our town of 141,000 residents every year.

“We want everyone – residents and visitors alike – to feel safe and have confidence in our town. This weekend there were thousands of families in Blackpool enjoying a safe, affordable break, and most locals are proud to live here.

“We’re working really hard with partners across police, health, housing and the third sector to tackle issues that lead to violent crimes being committed. We enjoy a very strong partnership with Lancashire Police, who are responsible for tackling crime in Blackpool.

“Our new Community Safety Plan (CSP) prioritises preventing, detecting and disrupting violent crime and anti-social behaviour. It includes measures ranging from early intervention work or diversion programmes for vulnerable or high-risk groups, as well as improved lighting and CCTV across our town centre.

“Our previous CSPs have proven effective already, delivering results in reducing anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, and we are committed to building on that further.”

What Lancashire Police say

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "We remain committed to disrupting and preventing crime across Lancashire, including in Blackpool.

"We want to reassure anyone with concerns that we have dedicated teams across the town, covering a number of different aspects of policing, including community engagement, immediate response, and detectives.

"These officers will continue to conduct their duties and police Blackpool with the intent of keeping residents safe and reducing crime."