Crime in Chorley
Recorded crime in Chorley is 1.6 times the Chorley council average and 1.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 3%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chorley: about 28,270 residents in 22 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −3%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Chorley council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chorley.
Crime over 5 years
Down 3% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Chorley, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Chorley council average (1.2× the England and Wales average). 97 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 70% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 50 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Chorley (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Chorley council area, not only the town of Chorley. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 111 | 0.92 | Down 6% |
| Cars broken into | 150 | 1.2 | Down 19% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 475 | 3.9 | Up 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 134 | 1.1 | Down 34% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in PR7
In PR7, the postcode district at the centre of Chorley, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,954 | 6% | 14% | 63% | 11% | 6% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 381 | 5% | 10% | 25% | 53% | 7% |
| Other theft | 307 | 1% | 5% | 22% | 66% | 7% |
| Public order | 253 | 8% | 14% | 44% | 28% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 253 | 12% | 9% | 10% | 56% | 12% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 201 | 6% | 1% | 12% | 75% | 5% |
| Burglary | 165 | 13% | 0% | 12% | 67% | 8% |
| Other crime | 135 | 13% | 10% | 47% | 13% | 16% |
| Drugs | 91 | 27% | 44% | 10% | 2% | 16% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.7 |
| Burglary | 4.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 43.7 |
| Drugs | 2.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.0 |
| Other crime | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 8.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.5 |
| Public order | 7.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 9.2 |
Postcode districts in Chorley
Nearby towns
Council: Chorley
Questions about crime in Chorley
- Is Chorley a safe place to live?
- Chorley scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Chorley council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chorley?
- Down 3% over 5 years, from 3,100 recorded crimes a year to 3,014.
- What is the most common crime in Chorley?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 44 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chorley compare with Chorley council?
- Crime severity in Chorley is 1.6 times the Chorley council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chorley?
- In PR7, the postcode district at the centre of Chorley, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 30% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chorley?
- Of 165 burglaries reported in PR7, the postcode district at the centre of Chorley between September 2024 and August 2025, 13% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 67% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Chorley?
- In the Chorley council area, the police recorded 111 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.9 per 1,000 residents, down 6% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Chorley?
- 475 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Chorley council area, 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Chorley last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Chorley council area, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.