Lancashire has town ranked as "most violent" in the UK - AND a borough with the biggest decrease in violence

New research into violent crime paints a very confusing picture of Lancashire.

According to data looked at by Get Licensed, the red rose county has both the worst - and some of the best - crime statistics for the whole of the UK.

During the 2022/23 reporting year, England and Wales saw over 6.7 million criminal offences, and around two million were categorised as violent crimes. The Get Licensed team looked at the number of violent crimes against the population number, and also compared figures with those of 2021/22.

Most violent town

Sadly, Blackpool has been rated as the most violent place in England and Wales, with 769.7 violent crimes per 10,000 residents. Get Licenced said: "Known best for its amusement park, Pleasure Beach, this town has a rich history with tourists. Unfortunately, you may need to be careful if you have planned a trip here, as Blackpool witnessed nearly 11,000 violent crimes last year."

Read about the kind of crimes happening in Blackpool here

The study does not take into account the vast influx of visitors to Blackpool every year, who might be responsible for some of the crimes recorded. No other Lancashire town or city comes in the top 10 of most violent places.

Least violent places

The Ribble Valley ranks as the third safest place in the country, with 156.7 violent crimes per 10,000 Residents. The research team said: "Ribble Valley falls shy of the second spot, with 156.7 violent crimes per 10,000 residents. Despite this English district having the lowest number of violent crime cases on our list, totalling 970, the area takes third place when the population is concerned."

Biggest decrease in violent crime

South Ribble has seen the greatest reduction in violent crime since 2021 with a 30 per cent decrease. This is significantly greater than other areas in the study, the closest being the Isle of Anglesey in Wales which has seen violent crime decrease by 17 per cent since 2021. 

Read more about the decrease in crime here

What kind of crimes are being committed?

Nationally, weapon crimes have increased by almost 15 per cent in the last five years, more than any other crime. In 2018, there were just over 3,600 recorded weapon crimes; as of 2023, this number has increased by over 14 per cent. Weapon crimes can encompass any firearm regarded as offensive, including knives and guns. More than 4,100 cases of weapon crime occurred during August 2023.

Shoplifting and drugs offences are also on the increase. Shoplifting has seen an 11.10 per cent increase in the last five years, and drug crimes are up 6.46 per cent.