A new national crime severity index has ranked towns and cities across the UK, revealing which areas face the highest levels of serious crime. The rankings use a weighted ‘crime severity score,’ giving greater emphasis to the most serious offenses like murder and rape.
Birmingham stands out as one of the country’s most dangerous cities, ranking sixth out of over 300 areas with a crime severity score of 27.3—significantly higher than the England and Wales average of 16.3. Violent and sexual offenses make up nearly two-thirds of Birmingham’s score, reflecting a troubling year marked by multiple stabbings and violent attacks, including the tragic murder of Katie Fox while she waited at a bus stop.
Other major Midlands cities also feature prominently. Nottingham ranks within the top 20 most dangerous cities, while Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester, Wolverhampton, and Coventry all appear in the top 35, underscoring violent crime’s impact across the region.
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Nationally, aside from central London—which sees inflated crime figures partly due to its large tourist population—Blackpool has the highest level of violent and sexual crimes, surpassing all other council areas. Middlesbrough ranks just behind with a score of 29.9, also driven largely by violent offenses.
Conversely, some places boast notably low crime severity scores, making them among the safest to live. Wiltshire tops that list with a minimum score of 6.0, followed by Wokingham (6.4), Ribble Valley (6.9), Waverley (6.9), and East Hampshire (7.1).
This data shines a light on the varying levels of crime severity across the UK, highlighting ongoing challenges in urban areas, especially in parts of the Midlands and northern England.