Crime

Crime in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by area

Every neighbourhood we cover, ranked by crimes per 1,000 residents a year, from police.uk figures for June to August 2026. Highest first. Pick a type of crime to re-rank, or tap a column to sort.

10,884crimes recordedJune to August 2026

+19%on the 3 months beforemore crime

Merleylowest rate16.4 per 1,000 a year

81.5middle areacrimes per 1,000 a year

Darker means more crime per resident. Tap an area for its page.

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Most improved: Rossmore (-17%), Wallisdown (-7%) and Creekmoor (-6%), compared with the three months before.

Every area, ranked

#				Most common
1	West CliffBH2 · 9,814 residents	514.8	▲ 37%	anti-social behaviour
2	Old TownBH15 · 6,559 residents	408	▲ 57%	anti-social behaviour
3	SterteBH15 · 7,674 residents	253.3	▲ 47%	anti-social behaviour
4	BournemouthBH2 · 67,839 residents	191	▲ 26%	anti-social behaviour
5	SpringbourneBH8 · 21,835 residents	159.6	▲ 37%	anti-social behaviour
6	BoscombeBH1 · 21,441 residents	154.5	▲ 29%	anti-social behaviour
7	LongfleetBH15 · 11,332 residents	136.3	▲ 34%	anti-social behaviour
8	PooleBH15 · 39,780 residents	133.4	▲ 40%	anti-social behaviour
9	AlderneyBH12 · 8,773 residents	129.9	▲ 24%	anti-social behaviour
10	SomerfordBH23 · 8,091 residents	118.2	▲ 45%	violence
11	WickBH6 · 4,853 residents	117	▲ 56%	anti-social behaviour
12	PurewellBH23 · 7,703 residents	115.8	▲ 38%	violence
13	Queens ParkBH8 · 8,618 residents	114.6	▲ 38%	violence
14	Stanley GreenBH15 · 4,924 residents	111.3	▲ 13%	anti-social behaviour
15	Turlin MoorBH16 · 6,418 residents	108.4	▲ 7%	violence
16	Ensbury ParkBH9 · 15,232 residents	106.6	▲ 11%	shoplifting
17	Bear CrossBH11 · 5,818 residents	103.1	▲ 49%	violence
18	KinsonBH10 · 8,310 residents	102	▲ 7%	violence
19	WintonBH9 · 22,925 residents	97.4	▼ 3%	shoplifting
20	WestbourneBH4 · 12,206 residents	95	▲ 34%	anti-social behaviour
21	CharminsterBH8 · 21,496 residents	94.7	▲ 21%	violence
22	Canford CliffsBH13 · 1,780 residents	89.9	▼ 15%	anti-social behaviour
23	Upper ParkstoneBH12 · 16,557 residents	85.3	▲ 17%	violence
24	Talbot VillageBH10 · 10,660 residents	84.4	▲ 7%	anti-social behaviour
25	BranksomeBH12 · 13,119 residents	82.6	▲ 14%	violence
26	Friars CliffBH23 · 3,575 residents	81.7	▲ 83%	anti-social behaviour
27	RossmoreBH12 · 13,246 residents	81.5	▼ 17%	violence
28	PokesdownBH7 · 18,042 residents	80.7	▲ 31%	violence
29	ChristchurchBH23 · 43,207 residents	80.7	▲ 35%	violence
30	WallisdownBH12 · 10,002 residents	80	▼ 7%	violence
31	Penn HillBH14 · 10,184 residents	78.6	▲ 9%	violence
32	ParkstoneBH14 · 15,222 residents	77.3	▲ 34%	anti-social behaviour
33	NorthbourneBH10 · 6,420 residents	74.1	▲ 18%	violence
34	Branksome ParkBH13 · 3,401 residents	70.6	▲ 15%	violence
35	Canford HeathBH17 · 9,632 residents	68.1	▲ 24%	violence
36	HamworthyBH15 · 9,825 residents	59.8	▲ 31%	violence
37	IfordBH6 · 12,676 residents	57.4	▲ 29%	anti-social behaviour
38	Lower ParkstoneBH14 · 9,144 residents	57.3	▲ 24%	anti-social behaviour
39	SouthbourneBH6 · 8,321 residents	56.7	▲ 11%	anti-social behaviour
40	MoordownBH9 · 17,145 residents	56.2	0%	violence
41	East HoweBH10 · 14,984 residents	55.5	▲ 2%	violence
42	LittledownBH7 · 6,463 residents	49.5	▼ 10%	anti-social behaviour
43	MudefordBH23 · 8,067 residents	48.1	▲ 17%	violence
44	MuscliffBH9 · 12,707 residents	46.6	▲ 4%	anti-social behaviour
45	StanpitBH23 · 6,144 residents	46.2	▲ 1%	violence
46	HighcliffeBH23 · 14,002 residents	46	▲ 22%	anti-social behaviour
47	CreekmoorBH17 · 10,867 residents	43.1	▼ 6%	violence
48	OakdaleBH15 · 15,476 residents	42.4	▲ 6%	violence
49	LilliputBH14 · 5,246 residents	41.9	▲ 4%	anti-social behaviour
50	BurtonBH23 · 4,347 residents	36.8	▲ 82%	anti-social behaviour
51	Talbot WoodsBH3 · 5,201 residents	36.1	▼ 28%	violence
52	BroadstoneBH18 · 8,890 residents	29.2	▼ 11%	violence
53	MerleyBH21 · 6,332 residents	16.4	▼ 24%	violence

Change compares the last three months with the three before. A dash means too few crimes to compare fairly.

Why busy centres look worst

Crimes are counted where they happen, but residents are counted where they live. Town centres and shopping areas have lots of shops, bars and visitors and not many residents, so their rates come out high even though most people there are just passing through.

How we work it out

Each area is a circle round its middle, the same as on its MeBabber page. We count the crimes police.uk records inside the circle over the last three months and turn that into a yearly figure, then divide by the number of people who live inside the circle, from the 2021 Census. Police locations are moved slightly on purpose to protect victims, so treat small differences between neighbouring areas with a pinch of salt.

Sources: data.police.uk and the Office for National Statistics, both under the Open Government Licence. Figures update every month.

Questions people ask

Which areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have the lowest crime?

Over June to August 2026, the areas with the fewest crimes per 1,000 residents were Merley, Broadstone, Talbot Woods, Burton and Lilliput.

Which areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have the highest crime?

Leaving aside the big shopping and industrial areas, where visitors and workers push the figures up, the highest rates over June to August 2026 were in West Cliff, Old Town, Sterte, Bournemouth and Springbourne.

Is crime going up or down in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 10,884 crimes were recorded over June to August 2026, 19% more than the three months before.

How is crime per 1,000 residents worked out?

We count the crimes police.uk records inside each area, turn the last three months into a yearly figure, and divide by the number of people who live there from the 2021 Census.