Research has revealed Cheshire is home to some of the UK’s safest postcodes, backing up research done earlier in the year – with both showing Congleton’s Hightown and Timbersbrook area having the lowest rate of crime in the country, followed in the national league by other parishes in the area.
Research earlier this year by the Daily Mirror has been echoed by security experts at ADT, who analysed the crime rates of each UK postcode sector between May 2022 to June 2023 to determine the safest postcodes.
The study also revealed the UK areas with the most and least police force members, fire incidents, cctv cameras and burglaries.
The postcode sector with the lowest crime rate in the UK was CW12 3, which covers Mossley, Hightown, Timbersbrook and Rushton. The postcode had a crime rate of six per 1,000 people – and more than 90% of these crimes were non-violent, with the vast majority being anti-social behaviour.
Taking second place was the postcode area CW11 3, which encompasses the wards of Warmingham, Moston and Sandbach. The crime rate for this postcode area was seven per 1,000 people and also included no violent crimes. All of the crimes in this postcode sector were for anti-social behaviour.
Rounding out the national top three was the postcode CW12 4, which covers the wards of Brereton, Newbold and Somerford. The crime there was eight per 1,000 people, also mainly comprising instances of anti-social behaviour.
In comparison, Derby, DE1 1, had the highest crime rate of any UK postcode. Covering the wards of Abbey, Arboretum, Darley and Mackworth, this postcode sector had a crime rate of 713 per 1,000 people. Of these crimes, more than 60% were classified as non-violent and 8% were burglaries.
SW9 8, London, was the postcode sector with the second highest crime rate, in the London borough of Lambeth. This postcode has a population of just under 5,500 and a crime rate of 645 per 1,000 people. More than 80% of these crimes were non-violent.
The postcode with the third-highest crime rate was BT7 1, in Belfast, the second capital city to feature in the top three. This postcode sector has a population of just under 6,000 and covered the southern region of the city. The crime rate was 627 per 1,000 people and 73% of the crimes for this postcode were non-violent, the majority of crimes were anti-social behaviour.
Watford, located in Hertfordshire and just 15 miles northwest of Central London, was the area in the UK with the lowest crime rate. For the year ending December 2022, the area’s crime rate was 63 per 1,000 people.
Watford also had the lowest burglary rate of any UK area for the year ending December 2022. During this period, there were 1.4 burglaries per 1,000 people.
The UK’s most burgled postcode is RG2 0, located in Berkshire and covering the wards of Abbey, Katesgrove, and Whitley. Per 1,000 of their 5,727 population, there were around 27 burglaries in a year period.
Gateshead has the highest number of cctv cameras in the UK. For every 1,000 people in the town, there were 9.1 cctv cameras. In comparison, Warrington, Birmingham and Milton Keynes had the fewest cctv cameras in the UK. All three had 0.2 cctv cameras per 1,000 of their respective populations.
